A Different Kettle of Onions
by sleepHAwhoneedsit
Summary: "It isn't about answers Alice, it's about asking questions." Alice is about the learn that curiosity can be dangerous... A questionable journey That brings Hatter and Alice back through the Looking Glass to indulge my need for more Hatter/Alice fun. Plus helping Jack save his kingdom even if he is trying to kidnap Hatter to separate them... for Hatters own good
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so first off I hate explaining my reasoning behind what I do in my stories but I wanted to say that I know there are some that don't care much for Jack but although the first bit of this is from Mr Heart's POV this is a Hatter/Alice tale and will be from their POV shortly. I was just using Jack, which I found fitting. So yeah just bare with me as I am learning the site. Thanks:)**

Jack Heart was adjusting his tie as he was working out his plan on how to free himself and Alice from the Casino. Getting out of his room and slipping the guards and Duchess will be easy, but getting Alice from the Doctors and iut of the Truth Room is the issue. Ge moved to fixing cuff links when the noise of a Flamingo made him glance towards his window. He is both surprised and amused to see the rider "A Knight?" he lets out a short laugh, then he is shocked and steps closer when another Flamingo shoots past "Alice?" and who is that man she is riding with and how did she get out of the Truth Room?

Jack is upset. It will not be easy to find her now, but at least she is out of the Casino and the location of the ring he assumes is still kept from his mother. Now he just needs to make his escape and go see Caterpillar. Then he can find Alice and get on with the plan to save his kingdom.

Caterpillar hung up the phone. The receptionist had just informed him that the Prince was here and Caterpillar took another draw of his hookah as he sat at his desk in his boat. The call he had received shortly before this last one was a bit disturbing and he knew he needed Jack to handle the problem.  
"How was your reunion with your family Jack?" Caterpillar asked just as the Prince stepped into the room.  
"Eventful as always, but family discord aside for the moment, we have a problem. Alice followed me to Wonderland with the ring and was taken to the Casino-"  
"Yes," Caterpillar interrupted. "But she escaped with some help."  
"Was this your doing?"  
Caterpillar took another draw and set his hookah aside as he exhaled trying to decide how much he should reveal to the (hopefully) future ruler of Wonderland.  
"I did not order her rescue, I was leaving that in your capable hands. But I did receive a call shortly before you got here."  
"From whom?" Jack asked interested.  
"From a man I talked to yesterday as well. He keeps on eye on Dodo and the others who protect the Great Library. See yesterday he said that one of their smugglers, had brought an Oyster in. A girl named Alice looking for her boyfriend Jack Chase and that the smuggler, who works for your family running a Tea Shoppe offered Dodo a deal, her ring for the Resistances help. Dodo apparently recognized the ring."  
"What happened? Jack asked, knowing Dodo's reputation and dreading Caterpillar's answer.  
"He tried to kill Alice, but the smuggler took the bullet instead. Amazingly enough both escaped and now I hear from my contact again that the smuggler has contacted Dodo thru another source and that they want to make a deal for the ring."  
"So we know how to find Alice and the ring." Jack said smiling. This was working out rather well. He assumes the smuggler must have been then man she was riding with on the flamingo.  
"Yes, and I plan on sending you to them Jack, but we have a bigger issue then just getting Alice and the ring."  
Jack looked at Caterpillar. "Do you mean getting Carpenter out of the Casino? I thought that was all set and our agents were just waiting for the word?"  
"No Jack, I am talking about something vastly more important but that I don't think you are ready to hear yet."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Horizons Jack, great new Horizons."  
"I don't understand."  
Caterpillar grabbed a book out of a pile, he always knew where this one was and then tossed the rope over to Jack to pull him over to the edge as he flipped thru it. "Have you ever read the Oysters story of Alice in Wonderland?" he asked as he found the illustration he was looking for.  
"Yes, I read it while in Alice's world. I also watched some films made from it as well."  
"And what did you think of how our world is depicted?"  
Jack laughed a little "It was really a childish version of Wonderland. Talking animals and such. Magic running wild and nonsense to the point of silliness."  
Caterpillar nodded but sighed inwardly knowing that Jack was not ready to know the truth, but that he at least could grasp some of what Caterpillar needed to tell him so as he left the boat for the poolside he handed to book to Jack pointing at the picture. "Do you remember this part?"  
"The Mad Tea Party?"  
"Yes, but more importantly the Hatter."  
Jack looked at the illustration of the short man with the ridiculous hat and the large nose, trying to figure what Caterpillar could be getting to.  
"The Hatter had more of a role in the Alice of Legend's journey then both the Oysters story, or even our own history tells. I won't go into the tale as it is long and time is important but I am going to ask you this, how many similarities have you seen between the Alice of Legend's tale and this time here in Wonderland?"  
"I can think of a few but how does this connect with my Alice and what we are trying to accomplish?"  
"The smuggler who took the bullet for Alice, do you know what his name is?" Caterpillar asked then answered before the Prince could speak. "His name is Hatter and he is our problem Jack."  
"the Hatter, like the Hatter in the story?"  
"Just Hatter, it is a nickname. I have been keeping on eye on him since he started helping to smuggle food to the refugees for us and I saw a man just playing both sides, staying on your family's good side selling tea while doing what he can to help feed our people. Not a great man, but not a bad man either, then all of a sudden he decides to risk his life by standing in front of a gun for some oyster he just met, then breaking into the Casino to rescue her."  
Jack was puzzled. "He is showing some chivalry, I am not sure I am understanding the problem." Jack was used to being confused when talking to Caterpillar but this was worse then usual.  
"I will make it simple then. I am sending you to meet with Alice and the smuggler. Bring Alice and the ring here, but under no circumstances may the smuggler come with you. You must separate Hatter from Alice before she can affect him anymore then she has."  
Jack stopped. "Affect him? How is she affecting him?"  
Caterpillar sighed. He had no good way to explain this to the Prince without revealing all but Jack was not ready to know the truth. He would just have to settle for some half truths for awhile.  
"The Oysters who used to come to Wonderland before your Mother commissioned the Casino were like flames and we were the moths. There was no science to the process, but Wonderlanders found that when we were around them for long periods of time, we were changed. The emotions pouring thru the oysters were seeping into us. The Hatter from legend is an example. The time he spent with the Alice of Legend changed him, they say he went mad, one of the first poisoned by oyster emotions and betrayed all of Wonderland in his madness. His sentence was one of the most severe"But I was in their world for months and wasn't affected, and none of the oysters that come thru now seem to affect anyone until we make the emotions into teas and they are consumed."

"That is because some of us are more sensitive then others, this Hatter that is with your Alice now is one of the sensitive." Caterpillar replied."How do you know this Caterpillar, because he risked his life for Alice? Maybe he just didn't want to see a women shot, or the ring back into my mothers hands." Jack asked, still confused and searching for logical answers. "Because I have been watching him for a long while, I have an interest in him and I will talk no more of it now as you need to hurry. Get Alice and the ring and whatever you do, keep Hatter from Alice, I cannot express the importance of this enough.""Will you ever explain to me why Caterpillar?" Jack asked. "When we reach the new horizons."


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I might botch up trying to post this chapter, let's see have tech savvy I am. I rewrote the chapter so sorry it's taken me so long to update. Enjoy! (I hope)**

And she was gone.  
Hatter stood there frozen. She was actually gone and he couldn't move. If he moved he knew exactly where he was going. Straight thru that wall of glass after her. He needed to not move so he could think of a reason to turn around and walk away from this place. To not do what he had been doing the last three days and diving into who knows what just because she dived in first.  
Problem was he couldn't think of anything but Alice and what she might say when he pops thru that glass behind her. He realized he wasn't making a choice. He was going, he just needed to start moving.  
He took a breath and started to take a step when somebody walked up behind him. "Excuse umm Mr Hatter?" a young female voice asked.  
"Hatter." He said turning to face the girl finding it very hard to tear his eyes off the Looking Glass.  
"I'm sorry?" She asked. She was a petite young women with short, straight light brown hair and brown eyes hidden behind glasses. She was wearing an outfit just like the other Looking Glass techs and her whole persona screamed wallflower.  
"It's just Hatter not mister anything." He replied impatient. Alice was thru there and he needed to go now. "Excuse me, but I got to go."  
"Please Mr- I mean Hatter sir, I um, I was sent to prepare you sir, that is to get you what you needed sir, before you leave." She stumbled her words so quietly that if she hadn't grabbed onto Hatter's coat he wouldn't have been paying attention and never would have heard her. Not that she made much sense anyway.  
"Come again?"  
The poor mousy thing took a breath and said, still softly but with much more sense. "I am supposed to get you set up sir, you are going thru the Looking Glass with the oysters aren't you?"  
Hatter raised an eyebrow. How did this little woman know that, especially since he didn't know until he watched Alice leave.  
"Who told you to get me set up?"  
"My supervisor sir, I'm sorry, did I make a mistake?" She asked horrified. "Oh god, oh god, oh god. She seemed like she wanted to hyperventilate, but nobody else around them seemed to be noticing her minor meltdown. "I really, really should've gone into baking tarts, my mum always said I didn't have the wits to do much else and now I've gone and botched the only task I've ever been assigned to do on my own, if the Queen were here I'd lose my head!"  
Hatter smiled, seemed to him like she was doing a fine job of losing her head all on her own, he couldn't help but take pity on the poor thing, besides she was offering to get him exactly what he wanted.  
"No, I was hoping on going thru the Looking Glass, but I thought all I had to do was pop thru and I'd be there?"  
"Oh gracious no!" She said letting out a big breath, obviously relieved. "There are all sorts of details like hair, wardrobe, paperwork, oysters just love their paperwork."  
"How long will all this take, I don't want to lose Alice." He asked worried.  
"Oh it'll take a little while sir, but don't worry. Time isn't the same. It'll be moments from when she left until you show up. Days can only be an hour there, it's all kind of wonky. Come along then, do we can get you set!" She said and turned to lead him out the doors and he shrugged and followed. She was a bit shy and really kind of awkward, but she was going to get him what he wanted so he'll go with it and see what happened.

After Alice had turned down his offer to become his queen and they hugged Jack saw him walk thru the door in the reflection from the Looking Glass. He also saw the smugglers reaction to Alice embracing him, defeated. Only a small part of his wounded pride guided his actions, the rest came from Caterpillar's instructions. Jack guided Alice forward and had her restart the Looking Glass, hoping the smuggler would think it a lost cause and just leave. Jack sighed inwardly with relief as he saw him nod to himself and turn to leave when Alice had called out "Hatter!"  
Damn. He thought as they made their way to each other. He worried this was going to get messy and he must do the best he could to keep Alice out of it.  
Honestly though, it seemed like the smuggler, Hatter wasn't going to be much of a problem. He seemed to be encouraging Alice to leave. Why? He obviously cared for her. Hatter and Alice awkwardly embraced and then Alice suggested he could always come to her world and the cheeky bastard perked up a bit, he wanted to follow her! He signaled to the Head Tech who was obviously annoyed that he had to stop his adjustments and do as Jack instructed them earlier, their first priority was to get Alice home and keep Hatter here. The Head Tech collected Alice rather briskly and lead her to the mirror, reminded her to breath, and unceremoniously pushed her thru.  
Jack watched Hatter. He watched him stare at the Looking Glass, saw the moment he made his decision, and then Jack saw he start to move.  
Then he watched as one of the technicians, a young, somewhat mousy looking thing grab his arm and speak with him. Jack watched the exchange, saw the young tech being shy, then flustered, distraught, then obviously relieved and then watched as she lead Hatter out the doors.  
Wonderful. He thought. Alice was home and Hatter was still in Wonderland, away from her as per Caterpillar's instructions. The young tech did a superb job and there was no mess. Jack removed the ring from the Looking Glass (it would work for more then long enough to get the rest of the oysters home) gathered the Ten of Clubs and left, secure in thinking he had completed his mission successfully.

She had Hatter change into some slightly too big oyster style clothing, using only her hands had messed with his hair until it was laying flat and in no way resembled his hair at all, it even seemed to be a shade or two lighter!  
"Oi, what'd you do to my hair?"  
"Just trying to make you blend in, the King doesn't want anybody knowing you're going thru the Looking Glass so we have to make you look like the other oysters. But don't worry, a couple of days or so and it'll be back to normal."  
"Wait a minute, Why doesn't Jack want anybody to know where I am going?"  
She shrugged. "Not sure really, just following instruction, I would bet you though it is probably because he doesn't want anybody going thru in hopes of finding a way to make their own Teas in the oysters world."  
"I never thought about that, is it possible?" Hatter asked.  
She shrugged again. "Don't really know, not my area of specialty. But I am sure they are quite a few desperate people out there that didn't want Wonderland to change, and now that it is, they are going to try whatever they can to stop it."  
Hatter felt a chill climb up his back at her words. But before he could dwell she was popping about in drawers and cabinets  
"Alright then, you look oyster-ish, now let's get you that paperwork lets see, umm hmm. Where is it that all kept? come on you silly little identities, ahh, there you are! She finally found what she was looking for in a large silver filing cabinet. "Now let's see who should you be, how about umm Arthur Davis? No, no, he's ginger. Bartholomew Stambold. Ack, that is just a horrible thing to do to a person, oh, oh here we go David Oliver. You've been a construction worker, originally from London. Sounds peachy." She pulled the file and pulled out a little plastic card and and stared at it for a moment before smiling and sticking it back in. "Yes, That'll do you nicely. Now go pick out a hat while I grab you a wallet and get all this identification set up for you."  
Hatter wasn't sure what to make of all this. He went and grabbed a different hat, this one black and simple but still decent, it would do so he set his own hat on the pile of his clothes he had left folded on a chair, with Alice's coat hanging neatly on the back.  
"Wallet is set, the rest of your papers are in here," She said handing him a wallet and an envelope. "As well as an instruction sheet as to what what is for."  
"Thanks, but I am sure Alice will help me figure it all out." He said, with only a slightly nervous ping of what if she doesn't want me there?  
"Oh yes I suppose she could." She said. "If she doesn't succumb to the Disbelief. But on the more then likely chance she does, you have instructions." Then she turned around and started to peek into drawers again. "Now where do we keep the oyster currency? Hmmm."  
Disbelief? He thought, then asked out loud. "What'd you mean disbelief?"  
The tech stopped her file digging and looked over nervously. "You don't know about that, oh god, why did I bring that up?"  
"What is it?" Hatter asked again, he could feel his insides turn cold, he knew he wasn't going to like what he heard.  
"Okay, so yeah, umm when oysters leave Wonderland and go back to their world, almost every single one finds their minds overwhelmed with the reality of what they just experienced so they forget or those who are just a bit stronger then most, or have some sort of physical proof convince themselves that it was just a dream and whatever proof they have was just something they had incorporated into the dream."  
"So your saying Alice won't remember me?"  
"Oh no, you'll have an advantage!" She said enthusiastically. "See she'll have only just stepped thru the Looking Glass when you arrive and as long as you are there with her before she falls asleep for the first time in her world and there are there with her when she wakes up, confirming it wasn't a dream, the Disbelief shouldn't stand a chance, oh here is what we're wanting, a safe!"  
She walked over to the big metal safe and bent down and started turning the dial like she knew what she was doing, until she tried to open it and it remained locked. "Okay, so I guess I botched that one up, let's try this again." She repeated the process twice more to the same effect getting a little more flustered each time. Then she stood up frustrated and kicked the door and to Hatter's surprise he heard a click and the handle turned and the door swung open. "There, just needed a forceful hand is all, or maybe foot is a better word but no matter, let's get you stocked up!" She then preceded to pull out stacks of paper that were bundled together while talking to herself. "Let's see there is what, about two hundred fifty thousand in here, each one of these stacks is about ten thousand in hundreds, let's take it down to an even two hundred, we should be able to fit five bundles in all those nifty jacket pockets without being noticeable." She took five of the stacks and started shoving them in Hatter's pockets on the inside and outside of the oyster style brown jacket he was wearing. There were quite a bit of pockets.  
"There all set, now let's send you thru."  
"Wait a tick, let's go back." Hatter said. "How possible is it that Alice won't remember me or Wonderland?"  
She sighed. "You should be fine, as I said. Just make sure you are there before she falls asleep the first time and then when she wakes up. Alice is strong, she might be one of the few who could remember on their own, but having a person to push back the Disbelief is the best, and she'll have you. She's a lucky girl."  
"I hope she thinks so too."  
"No worries now, let's get you going. And remember until you get thru you're just another oyster going home. Keep your head down and don't speak until you are on the other side."  
She then grabbed his arm like the other tech had Alice's and lead him back to the main hall. Jack was gone and there were much fewer oysters left. She marched him up to the Looking Glass and said. "This one is next." and then added "remember to breath." and pushed him thru.

She pushed him thru and turned around and started heading back the way she had just lead the Hatter. She had finished her task and now she needed to tidy up. But as she walked back into the room she saw another technician picking the Hatter's clothes he had left on the chair with Alice's coat, she knew he had already seen the open safe.  
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The young man asked alarmed. He recognized the clothes of the man the King had instructed them to not let thru the Looking Glass, but he didn't recognize this young women, even though she was dressed like one of them.  
"Don't worry now." She said stepping forward until she was closer in front of him and took off her glasses. She then tossed them at him and he instinctually caught them. She took the advantage and slugged him in the face. "You won't remember this later." she told him as he fell. She picked up the pile of clothing and Alice's coat from the chair then sat them down on the floor then she effortlessly picked up the tech and sat him on the chair to slumber. He'd just think he fell asleep. Thats the genius about her punch, It wasn't physical damage. She picked back up the clothing and went to leave, then remembered the open safe. She started to close it with her foot when a deliciously wicked idea made her smile. She tossed the Hatter's hat inside then kicked it closed with a satisfying Bang, Click! She then turned and left.  
As she walked she couldn't help but think it had all gone wonderfully well. Alice was safe back in her world, out of reach and she had sent the Hatter to her, sort of a reward to them both. Besides she couldn't have Alice forgetting, not when she might need her again.


	3. Chapter 3

**In Hatter's words "Finally" This chapter was supposed to be easy and I was only writing it for my own amusement (Hatter POV of The Kiss? Come on, I had to!) but it was just not working. So this chapter is pretty short, mostly cause I rewrote it about six times. It was originally from the point Hatter stepped out of the Looking Glass, but I cut it all as it just didn't feel right. So I skipped to the good part , though I don't feel I did the moment justice, but how can words describe what was visually represented so well? Yeah, that excuse should work;) enjoy and I own nothing.**

Hatter walked up to the door, this was it. He had come thru the mirror and found Alice unconscious. He had gotten her help and had even met her mother at the hospital, but he hadn't been there when she woke up. He wasn't thinking all that clearly as he hadn't slept in days, since Charlie's perimeter alarm had woken him up to find that Alice had left her coat behind and was on her way to the Casino. Sure he had gotten a hotel room last night after her mum had told him to go home and he could come by their place the next day to check up on her (he knew he wasn't going to get in to see her at that point) but he had just stared at the ceiling in the dark thinking, _She's not going to remember_...

And why should she? Why would she want to, with her boyfriend using and lying to her as well as two timing her. Being confronted by her biggest fear at well, literally every corner. Shot at, locked up with the Doctors and tortured, shot out of the sky and into a lake, repeatedly captured. Then, after she finally finds her father, he dies in her arms. What made him think she should remember? Just because he couldn't let her go?

He took a deep breath, it didn't matter. He needed to see for himself that Alice was okay and the fact she wouldn't have any idea who he was would be fine, just because every bit of his heart would be crushed to nothing didn't matter. He'd be fine.

Yeah...

Sure...

Fine.

He pressed the buzzer.

Carol walked to the door, she was excited that the young man, David had wanted to check up on Alice. Carol had been touched by his concern for her daughter. As well as the fact that when he had seen her run into the building when she was injured he had gone into check on her, most people would've ignored it and walked away, but he had rescued her baby. And Carol couldn't help but hope that Alice might like him. Yes, she had just broken up with Jack because he proposed, but Carol knew that she would have found a reason anyway. Jack was her usual type, seemingly perfect. Looks great on paper and safe. She could never really fall for anybody like Jack, which is why Alice kept dating them. Carol couldn't help but hope she'd go for something different and not let what Carol viewed as her failure as a wife keep Alice from happiness. And as Carol opened the door to the man who had rescued her daughter she smiled at him and when he returned her smile with a sexy grin she thought. _If Alice doesn't go for him maybe I'll give the whole cougar thing a try. _

The door opened and Alice's mother Carol smiled at him, and he gave her his best grin, which probably wasn't his best since she stopped short for a tic before saying.

"David, perfect timing! Come on in."

"Thank you, how is Alice doing?"

"Very well, she's still a little down, but well, she broke up with her boyfriend right before the accident so I think some of it may be that."

That and a whole lot more. He thought, again thinking of everything Alice would want to forget. Hatter knew he didn't stand a chance. He and Carol chatted for a few more moments, he did his best to charm her, causing her to laugh and smile, she then walked over to the hall and called "Alice, come meet David!" then she turned back to Hatter and told him. "I think she'll love you." if only...

Alice was coming down the hall. She was looking down at her hands as she messed with her one of her fingers. She looked so sad, so lost.

Then she looked at him.

He stopped breathing, he stopped thinking, his heart stopped beating, and the world just came to a halt as her eyes met his and he saw surprise.

And recognition.

"Hatter!" She cried and she ran, she ran to him and crashed into his arms.

He closed his eyes, Oh, that is the best feeling there is.

"Finally." She remembers, and she was in his arms.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you." She said, still holding him fiercely. He tried to laugh but it came out a light breath. She had no idea.

He pulled away but kept her in his arms, he had to look at her, but the second he saw her face He couldn't stop himself, he kissed her.

It was a proper kiss, a kiss that took every inch of himself and gave it all to her, and she was returning every bit of it. He removed his lips from hers just long enough to whisper. "I missed you." then he kissed her again, deeply and she returned it, as desperate for him as he was for her. They were lost within each other and have forgotten Carol, who just stood there with her mouth open.

Carol couldn't believe it.

Her cautious little girl had flung herself into David's arms like they were long lost lovers, which apparently they might have been. They certainly knew each other (why nobody mentioned that before was a question Carol was dying to know) and then they were kissing, and passionately. Not even as a hormone crazed teenager had Carol caught her daughter going "at it" like that. Alice always had a certain distance between herself and her boyfriends, even when she was affectionate. But there was no "distance" between these two right now.

Carol cleared her throat, to no avail. She tried again. Nothing.

"Okay, well I guess I'll go see about ordering some dinner. My guess is Chinese for _three_ because it looks like you two won't be done anytime soon."

And it was as if she hadn't even spoken. Carol sighed and rolled her eyes as she walked around them and to the kitchen. Well, she had wanted Alice to like David, so she'll count it as a win. She needed one with the way the rest of the day had gone. Apparently she can't take a day from work to take care of her daughter in the hospital without her co-workers blowing up her phone with voicemails and text messages looking for invoices and scheduling issues, plus the fact that somehow the hospital staff had lost the clothes Alice had been wearing when she came in. Alice had just gotten that pretty blue dress and those were her favorite boots and they somehow mysteriously disappeared or been stolen.

But seriously, what kind of crazy person would steal the clothes from someone in the hospital?


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, back to the actual plot. Kinda short but the next one is where we start moving.  
Enjoy and I own nothing:)**

Jack was in his counsel chambers alone. He was looking at all that had been accomplished and it was amazing the progress they had made. Teas were no longer being made and the main mess that had quickly followed the fall of the Casino and those that still wanted their quick fix had been dealt with. They had begun reeducating the people and making sure everyone was cared for. It wasn't easy, but where the people feared his mother, they respected Jack. He gave no quick fixes, everything they did for the kingdom was for its long term benefit and was real. He gave everything he had and expected the same from his people. The Suits had been given special instructions from the White Knight on chivalry and honor. Some had scoffed at Charlie's manners and ideals, but had quickly found themselves scrubbing floors or cleaning stables. Jack made it very clear that his Wonderland would not be his mothers, that no citizen would be treated unjustly by his Suits and unless they proved themselves honorable, they could change jobs to something more befitting their morals. They were still a few he worried might not tow the line, but overall he was happy with their improvements.  
A knock interrupted his thoughts and Number Ten stepped inside. "Forgive the intrusion My King." He said bowing. "No Intrusion, you know you are always welcome as you are a member of this counsel." "Thank you your majesty, but I came because you have a visitor." "Who." "Dodo." Jack shut his eyes and took a deep breathe. "Dodo?". "Yes, if you want I can tell him he has to wait, really it would be my pleasure to do so." Number Ten said and Jack didn't doubt he meant it. He had dealt with Dodo many times since he had become King and though he admired the mans passion and zeal for restoring Wonderland, he couldn't help but wish that Dodo would be less of a zealot. Jack tended to want to disagree with the man simply because he had put forth any idea. He wasn't sure if it was because of Dodo's arrogance, or maybe Jack was still angry over the fact that Dodo had at one point tried to shoot Alice. "As much as that would please us both." Jack said. "It is no use procrastinating unpleasant business. Show him in, but I promise if he is too much of a pompus blowhard you may kick him out." Number Ten laughed, mostly at his Kings use of the word "blowhard" and left to get Dodo. Jack took a position at the window and was pretending to look at something outside when Dodo burst in, Number Ten behind him. Jack ignored him and since Number Ten pointedly did not announce him, Dodo had to just stand there for a moment. Jack knew it rankled Dodo to be ignored, but Jack found that he had to assert his position with him otherwise the man would try to bully his way to what he wanted. Dodo cleared his throat but Jack continued to ignore him. Again. Jack ignored. "Excuse me, your majesty." Dodo said quite loudly and Jack turned towards him, pleased by the annoyed tone in his voice. "Dodo yes, what brings you by at such a late hour?" Dodo had what looked like a sealed file in his hands which he held out for Jack to take. Jack didn't budge but turned back towards the window. "As you know I have been going thru the files of the Hospital of Dreams, Caterpillar's records were not as orderly as those we kept at the Great Library." "No, Caterpillar's was a great mind, he had no space inside it for order." "Yes well." Dodo ground out between clenched teeth. He would be loyal to his king, as Jack was good for Wonderland, but he disliked the man immensely. He was a stuck up prig that didn't understand the sacrifice the members of the resistance (like himself) had made while he sat up in the Casino living the good life. "Be that as it may, while searching thru Caterpillar's records we found this hidden, with instructions that it only be given to you Jack Heart." A secret file from Caterpillar? Jack thought, intriguing. "Very well, put it on the table and unless there is anything else you require you are free to go." Before Dodo could respond to Jack's obvious dismissal, a disturbance from outside drew their attention as Number Nine flung open the doors. "Your majesty!" He cried clearly out of breath and doubling over, Number Ten walked to his side to try and assist him but he waved him off and stood up and between breathes said "Your majesty! I am, I'm sorry but the, the pal, palace was com, compromised, there was a, a break in."Jack came forward, no more games of disinterest. "What was taken." Number Nine swallowed and the look on his face made Jack's blood run cold. "They took the ring your majesty. The Stone of Wonderland was stolen."

The theft of the ring was kept quiet. Only his most trusted advisors and Dodo who had happened to be there, knew. Jack had increased security at the Looking Glass and had Number Ten was over at the White Rabbit checking on anything that might give them a lead. It was surprising but Dodo had actually proven to be helpful. Many of his former resistance contacts were being utilized to discreetly try and gather information about the thieves who had broken into the most secure area in all of Wonderland.  
There was not much more Jack could do until they uncovered some leads, at least not and keep it quiet. The last thing he wanted was panic, or every person with a daydream about seizing power for themselves after the ring. So now he was in his private study with the file from Caterpillar. He was only slightly surprised to see it was a file on Hatter, the man Caterpillar had instructed Jack to keep away from Alice before she could affect him. The file was typed page after typed page, all random facts Caterpillar had compiled put into a rather dry order. What was interesting was that in the margins on the side in Caterpillar's unmistakable scrawl were questions. For example, where Hatter's office in the Tea Shoppe was described Caterpillar had written "The grass?" The door opened and Number Ten entered, carrying a box. "My King." He bowed. "I have discovered some thing's at the White Rabbit that have given me unease and I feel may be connected in some way to the theft of the ring." "Very well, what have you found." Number set the box on the table and pulled out first some papers. "These are inventory sheets. This top one is what we should have on hand of oyster clothing for the Suits who would go thru the Looking Glass to vanish the oysters to use in the Casino. It has, of course many variances, but that is not uncommon. Agent White was terrible at keeping his troops from losing clothing. This next sheet though, is where it gets interesting. Every Suit that goes thru the Looking Glass is given a fully integrated oyster identity in case of emergency. When going thru the files we found several of the identity files missing, this is uncommon as all files are checked, verified, and initialed when a raiding party used to return." "So identities and clothing are missing, and we can guess that the thieves are planning on using the ring to go thru the Looking Glass, which we were pretty much assuming anyway." Jack said rubbing his eyes. This has been a clean operation so far, whoever these thieves were, they were smart. "Yes, but there is something else." Number Ten added nervously. "We also checked the safe where we keep the oyster money and found that fifty thousand of it was missing." "Again, fits the pattern if they were planning on something.". "Yes Sire, it would but I found something else that was left inside the safe and I am a little puzzled by it." He then pulled a light brown hat out of the box, Jack recognized it. He stood up and turned around, telling Number Ten. "I want the Looking Glass security footage from the day we sent Alice and the oysters home all the way to today brought to me immediately." "Of course your majesty.". "Also, there was a Looking Glass technician, a young woman, there that day. I want you to bring her to me I need to ask her some questions." "Excuse me sire, did you say a young woman on the Looking Glass staff?". "Yes, a technician. petite, mousy little thing." "Sire, I am sorry but we umm, we don't have any women on the Looking Glass staff." Jack turned around and stepped to his bookshelf. Damn. He knew that the theft of the ring, the secret file, the missing money and items at the White rabbit, and the fake technician were not coincidence, nothing in Wonderland ever was. And if his instincts were right it was all going to be centered around this one man, Hatter. Jack turned back around and took his seat. "Bring me Dodo." "Dodo your majesty?" "Yes. I believe I actually may need his help. Unfortunately."

Three days later there was an ambush at the Looking Glass. Six men were captured but it was clear they were just decoys. Three others escaped thru to the oysters world, taking the ring with them. Jack was quick in mobilizing his teams. He sent a of suits thru the Looking Glass, lead by Number Nine to find the men with the ring and bring it back. After they left he sent a second team but with another mission. Find Hatter and bring him back to Wonderland.


	5. Chapter 5

**So I have another section I wanted to add to this chapter, but I think this is a good stopping point so I'll go ahead and get writing on the next bit, yay! Enjoy and I own nothing.**

**P.S. Thanks for the review pointing out my spelling error. I will go back later and fix the other chapters, but if I reread them now I will edit them like crazy and never finish this. But I will fix it all once this is complete:)**

In Wonderland trust was in short supply. Especially when you were running a Tea Shoppe for the Queen of Hearts while smuggling food to her enemies in the resistance. The only reason people worked with Hatter was because they had no choice. He was a con man, smuggler, tea pusher, whatever you want to call him he seemed to have his hands in a bit of everything and had connections (or connections to connections) and although nobody could deny he was always there when they passed the hat they were always wary where he had been before and what he hoped to gain from helping them. Nobody in Wonderland ever trusted him, but now he was here in Alice's world. Alice trusted him, which was amazing. But here people seemed to actually like him. Carol for instance. She knew he lied to her about Alice at the hospital and the first evening eating chinese food together she was clearly wary of the man who she had no idea her daughter knew but had started kissing passionately. He had fallen asleep on their couch (exhaustion had over taken him when he and Alice had been sitting talking) and the next morning he had woken up to Carol gently nudging his shoulder. "David, wake up." He had jolted and was slightly confused for a moment before he remembered. Alice's world, her apartment, this was Carol her mum. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep, wait its morning?" He asked realizing the sun was coming thru the windows. "Almost noon actually." Carol answered smiling. "I took a half day so I will be heading out shortly, Alice left a couple of hours ago for a training session at the dojo. She didn't want to wake you, and I wouldn't have either but I have to leave and wanted to let you know there are muffins on the kitchen table if you're hungry, coffee is in the pot, and I put some fresh towels and an extra toothbrush in the bathroom if you feel like cleaning up. Alice will be back around two if you want to wait for her, otherwise just please lock the door behind you when you leave." "Wait, you're leaving me, someone you just met, alone in your home?" He asked. These oysters were crazy. Carol smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "No, I am inviting the man my daughter says she trusts, and she doesn't do so lightly, to wait her if you want and enjoy some spectacular muffins." Then turned and grabbed her bag off of the table, said goodbye and walked out the door. But it wasn't just Carol. Hatter had met people and everybody just seemed to like him, Alice's friends referred to him as sweet, charming and a gentleman. And she and Carol had even had a key to their home made for him. Mind you it was convenient as he spent most of his time there instead of his place down the block. But still, it was nice. Hatter used his key to let himself in and set his phone and the bags from the store on the table. He and Alice were planning on doing dinner and movie here tonight since Carol was going to be gone till tomorrow. He took off his jacket and hung it on the hook and then walked down the hall and to the bathroom. When he was finished he headed back to the table to start putting things away when there was a knock on the door. Must be a neighbor since they didn't need to ring the buzzer to be let inside the building. Hatter walked over and opened the door and stopped dead."Hello Hatter."

Carol walked in the door and saw two grocery bags, David's phone on the table and she could hear someone washing up in the bathroom. She smiled. She really enjoyed having David around and the fact that Alice was so, well herself with him made Carol want to dance with joy. David and Alice argued, a lot. Alice was often stubborn and most people just let her do her own thing, but not David. He would poke holes at her reasoning, make her think about things a second time and had no trouble holding his own when she didn't like him telling her she was wrong. But Carol had seen him going along with her, despite his reservations and making sure Alice was okay. She was still smiling as she grabbed one of the bags and headed to the kitchen. She had come home a day early as one of the speakers at her conference had gone into labor, and she hoped she wasn't ruining their plans. If so she could make herself scarce for the night. (As much as she liked to not think about her daughter doing certain things, she knew that they hadn't been, well alone together yet) She heard footsteps leaving the bathroom and then she heard a knock on the door. She was walking across the kitchen when she heard David open the door. "Hello Hatter.". "Dodo." David's voice stopped Carol in her tracks. It was deadly. "You don't sound very happy to see me Hatter.". "Seeing as last time I saw you, you shot me, you can forgive me for not jumping with joy." Shot him? David had been shot by this man? What the hell was going on. Carol peeked out the kitchen doorway and saw a large man push past David into the living room. "Yes, and I am sorry it didn't do any lasting damage. But that is besides the point. Is you little oyster home?" Oyster? David shut the door and walked over to stand face to face with the man, Dodo. What an awful name. "What do you want with Alice." "Oh I want nothing with your oyster Hatter. I just figured you would attach yourself to her like the pathetic little leech you are. She's the perfect meal ticket for you. Someone who can make you seem respectable back home while paving your way in this new world. Always playing both sides Hatter, you are nothing more then a-". "What do you want Dodo?" David cut him off. "Or did you just come here because you miss giving me your regular tirades on my lack of moral standing?" Dodo smiled, his grin was large and he chuckled deeply from his throat. "As I said, I am here for you Hatter. I am escorting you back home." "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not leaving." "Oh I'm not asking, see you didn't get permission to leave. Now everyone is wondering what the man who ran a Tea Shoppe wants in a world filled with oysters. Besides you stole from the King, all that oyster money and your new identity. You're in way over your head as usual Hatter and I can't wait to watch you drown." Carol's was frightened and so confused. Oysters, Kings, Tea Shoppe? It was obvious David had been involved in something illegal, so it was probably some sort of code. Apparently he had tried to leave and this man was here to take him back, but Carol was certain it was not going to be into a loving embrace. She figured she had three choices. One, stay in the kitchen hiding until the scene before her played out. Two, call the police who probably wouldn't get here until it was too late and even if they did David would be arrested too. Or three, do something foolish. Carol looked at the countertops, grabbed the first thing she thought might help, took a deep breath and stepped forward out of the kitchen. She was her daughters mother after all.

Hatter stared Dodo straight in the eye. If he thought Hatter was going anywhere with him he was greatly mistaken. Dodo never broke eye contact. Each one was waiting for the other to make the first move, to try and figure some sort of advantage. What Hatter needed was a distraction, and one came all on its own."David, who was at the door?" Carol asked as she walked into the room. Where the hell had she come from? She was supposed to be gone until tomorrow. She continued walking until she was between Hatter and Dodo and she smiled speaking to the latter. "Hi, I'm Carol, you must be a friend of David's." Dodo said nothing but looked at Carol with a sneer. He had obviously not expected to have his gloating interrupted. Hatter was worried. Dodo was a loose cannon and she was between him and Hatter."Carol, why don't you go back into the kitchen for minute. I was just about to show this man out." Hatter said stepping forward and using his left arm to gently push Carol behind him as he had done many times for her daughter. "Don't be silly David, I am sure your friend was just leaving. Besides I need your help, why don't you take the rest of the groceries into the kitchen for me and I will see your friend to the door, this is my home after all." she stopped and looked Dodo straight in the face and added in a voice of steel. "And I decide who leaves and who stays, and you Dodo," She used his name with emphasis letting both men know she had heard them from the kitchen. "Are leaving and David is staying." she put her arm through David's and put herself beside him doing so. "This is his home and you are not welcome here." "Well, well Hatter. Looks like I have been put in my place and have no option left to me." Dodo sneered sarcastically. "Expect maybe, oh yes this." he pulled a pistol from his coat and aimed it at the two of them. Hatter raised his hands and Carol clutched to his side, causing him to only be able to pull up his left arm halfway. Dodo stepped forward to undoubtedly add another sneering comment straight to Hatter face when Carol shot out her right hand and tossed the entire contents of a pepper shaker (the lid already screwed off) into Dodo face, causing him to scream in pain as it burned his eyes and nose. "Run!" Hatter yelled grabbing her hand and the two of them bolted to the door, he flung it open but before they could go through, four suits blocked their path, all armed. For a moment Hatter considered rushing past them, using himself to shield Carol. But try we're too close and Dodo was already recovered behind them, though his face was red and tears and snot ran from his eyes and mouth. "Grab them now you idiots!" He shouted his rage spewing forth. The suits moved forward, two cuffing Hatter and the other two holding Carol. "Sir, what should we do about the woman?" One asked once they had them secure. "Cuff her as well, she's coming with us." Dodo said trying to wipe pepper from his streaming eyes. "You can't bring her!" Hatter shouted straining against his cuffs and the suits holding him. "She has nothing to do with this!" "Oh, but I can't leave her to tell your pretty little oyster we've taken you now can I?" Dodo spat. "She'll just follow you back and we can't have that. Besides, she put herself into this trying to protect you so she can live with the consequences." And then Dodo and suits took them, leaving no sign of a struggle for Alice.

**So just a random bit here, I never actually intended to use Carol or Dodo at all in this story, but somehow they popped in and I am just going with it. Hope it works!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay next chapter! Alright, enjoy and I own nothing:)**

Alice was ecstatic that Hatter was here. The first moment she had looked up and seen him she knew, she knew she not only trusted him but he had done what nobody else had been able to do, he had gotten into her heart. When he kissed her she had lost herself. Any reservations she had had flew out the window and were gone. She was scared, she had never let herself feel like this and until the moment he told her he was staying it was like she had been holding her breath, worried that if she breathed he would disappeared. But he was staying, he had come after her not knowing if she wanted him and knowing he couldn't go back. Hatter wanted her just like she wanted him. She was happy, excited, over the freaking moon. And she was frustrated as all hell with wasn't that she was over the initial joy and newness of it all. Alice wanted him even more then when he showed up, and that was the problem. Hatter was holding back, which Alice herself was an expert on. He would answer her any question she asked, to a point. Anything she asked him about his adulthood, he answered freely. He told numerous stories about the Tea Shoppe, smuggling, making deals that hadn't gone well but ended hilariously. He told her things he wished he had never done and things he wanted to do over. But the moment she asked a question about earlier in his life it was like a wall slamming down between them. He would reply to her but he never really gave an answer. Like if she asked about his family he would shrug and say he didn't have one. When she would ask what happened to them he'd say, "Don't know." and would go onto something else like she hadn't even asked. She had once asked him when his birthday was and he had pulled out his new ID card and read her the date on it. "Hatter, that's not what I meant. I wanted to know when you were really born." "Dates and times are different here Alice, so whats it matter?" She was so mad she could spit. He just refused to answer the simplest questions and then acted like it was no big deal. It made her want to scream she was so frustrated. Of course the fact that Hatter had been in this world for a while and they had spent almost all their time together and they have yet to have sex might also be lending to her frustration levels. Alice was ready but Hatter had yet to make the move. Hatter, as her friends liked to point out every time he held a door open or pulled out a chair, was just naturally a gentleman. He did things unconsciously that most mothers had to beat into their sons brains to get them to do. He wasn't a saint, oh no. Alice had seen more then she needed to in Wonderland to know he would fight dirty if need be. But Hatter had manners and was naturally gallant, like you'd expect from someone a hundred years ago to be. Despite what he wanted (and Alice knew exactly how much he wanted her) he wouldn't try to take her to bed without her prodding. And prod him she would. She thought as she left the store. She had a small little bag that she had just purchased with the teeny, tiniest, sheerest little nightgown known to man. With her mother gone and Hatter in with her for the night she was going to seduce the hell out of the man until he had no choice but to ravish her. Not that she was being pushy, she just wanted to make her feelings known, loudly and very clearly. Alice was preoccupied by thoughts of how to prod Hatter and how she wanted to evening to go that she didn't notice the man following her until she was almost home, when the prickling feeling of unease crept up her neck leaving goose flesh. She looked behind her and saw a rather large guy wearing a hooded sweat shirt and jeans, his hands in the pockets of the sweat shirt and his head down. He could've been a random person just minding his own business and sharing the sidewalk, but Alice had the instincts of a fighter. She knew when someone was posed to make a move and as non-chalet as this man tried to appear, he was on alert. Alice kept walking and thinking. She could make a run for it, she was pretty fast and had a good enough lead that she could make it to her building, but finding her key and unlocking the building door before he caught up to her wouldn't happen. She could also just keep running past her building and try to get to the corner store where other people were, which seemed a good option and if he was actually faster then she was she could always try and take him down. She was smaller and most people made the mistake of underestimating her. But she knew how to use other people's size against them. Okay, so option two it was. Run to the store and fight if needed. She took one last glance behind her, hoped she was overreacting and making a fool of herself and burst forward in a run. The man gave chase, she wasn't a fool but she was faster. She gained distance as she came up to her building, then as she passed her door she glanced back again, excited to see that he clearly wasn't a runner and she should easily make it to help in time. But as she came to the end of her building she realized she shouldn't have looked behind her because out of the alleyway another man stepped out directly in her path and she slammed into him full force, taking them both down on the concrete. Alice was stunned for a moment as her hip and elbow hit the hard sidewalk and her head smacked hard into the mans chin. She didn't even have a moment to recover before another man stepped out of the alleyway, dressed just like both his buddies and pointing a gun at Alice who froze."Good, now stay right where you are little oyster." Oh god, these weren't normal creeps, they were from Wonderland, this were a whole different level of dangerous. The man who chased her caught up to them, out of breath. "That's a fast one she is, she caught on right away that I was following her. He was right on about having to outsmart her.""Shut up and get her tied you moron or we won't have outsmarted anyone." the man with the gun said and the man who chased her pulled a zip strip from his sweat shirt pocket and pulling Alice's hands in front of her bound her hands with it so tight that the plastic was cutting into her skin. "Who are you? What do you want?" Alice asked as the chasing man pulled her to her feet. The gunman came over and grabbed her arm while shoving the muzzle of the gun into her side painfully. They ignored her questions as the chasing man helped his buddy off the ground. "Oi, that stupid oyster busted my face!" He said rubbing his chin and spitting a mouthful of blood onto the sidewalk. "She's got a lot of power for such a little girl." "Yeah, thats why he told us to be careful." the gunman said. "We got what we came for now let's go."Alice wanted to struggle and scream. She was close enough to home that she knew Hatter would probably hear her, but the gun in her side was a painful reminder to behave herself. She was just going to have to let this play out and hope for some sort of advantage since the last thing she wanted to do was end up back in Wonderland, especially without Hatter there to have her back. They lead her through the alleys and into the old building where the Looking Glass was. The man she had run into went ahead to make sure the area was clear then motioned them up. They gathered close to the glass when the man with the gun looked at the chasing man and asked him. "Is it reset?" Chasing man went over and fiddled with something on the back of the frame and grinned. "It sure is, just like he said it would be." "Good get your gun ready, you'll go first make sure nobody's waiting over there. Then I'll bring the oyster and he'll take the rear, we clear?" The other two men started to nod but a voice broke out from behind them. "No."A petite young woman with short, straight mousy brown hair stepped forward from the shadows. The young woman was actually very petite, the skinny jeans she was wearing with a bright pink, tight leather jacket, white fitted tee and matching pink ballet flats just emphasized her small stature."Who the hell are you? What do you want?" The gunman demanded. His buddies spread apart so that they could try to surround this new arrival. "Who am I? I'm nobody, not even really a person so how can I answer that question without frying those underused little brains of yours." She replied as she started to pace slowly back and forth in short line. "What I want, well that is closer to a better question. Unfortunately though what I want is irrelevant. The question should be 'what you all want?' that I happen to know the answer to, better then you yourself. See I know why you want Alice, what you want to do with her, what you want to happen." She stopped her pacing and looked at the three men in disgust. "You sicken me and I wouldn't touch your want with a ten foot pole. See unlike me, Alice is a person, and you Alice." The young woman turned her attention to her. "You want to be safe, but more importantly, you want those you care about to be safe as well. You want to protect them so fiercely that that want shines out of you like a blazing sun. You don't want much for yourself, but your want to protect others Alice, especially those you love is incredible and deliciously powerful." Then she looked back at the three man. "But you do have two things that I plan on taking so why don't we move this along?" and she started forward, slowly. The chasing man turned to the gunman. "The girl is mad!" the gunman nodded. "Sure right she is, take her down, and make it fast cause we need to get through before anyone comes along." The man Alice ran into stepped forward to her right side and threw a punch straight at her face, but without even looking over she just caught his fist as if it were nothing. The man stood there a second, clearly stunned then he tried to yank back his hand and couldn't remove it from her grip. The young woman smiled and turned her gaze to him. The second she looked at him he fell to the ground, unconscious and she released his fist and turned back to the other two. The man who chased her then stepped forward, his gun in his hand and aimed directly at her. "Stop right there now girlie or I'll shoot you I will!" she didn't even pause just started walking towards him. He squeezed off a shot. She leaned slightly to the side as if avoiding it and kept moving. He shot three more times but she kept dodging and moving forward until she was right in front of him and the gun at point blank range at her chest. He still had shots left but the gun was shaking violently and the man holding the gun in her side yelled. "Just shot her you idiot!"The man just stared at the young woman, she smiled at him and he paled. She then reached up ever so carefully and touched his arm with one finger and his eyes rolled back in his head and he too fell down unconscious. "Keep the hell back!" The only man left shouted. "I'll shoot her, kill the oyster on the spot unless you back up and let me take her through the Looking Glass." He jammed the gun so hard into her side that she shut her eyes and cried out. But in the instant her eyes closed the young woman must have moved as fast as lightning since she was suddenly behind them whispering in her captors ear. "You forget that I know what you want, and you want Alice alive." then she trailed a finger down the mans cheek and Alice felt his grip let go and the gun was no longer jammed into her as he fell down. "Good night, you stupid, stupid man." the woman bent down and removed something from the mans pocket, putting it in her own. Alice turned around and looked down at the young woman. She was shorter then Alice and was just so tiny, but she had just taken down three huge man with only a touch. Alice wasn't sure right now if she should be relieved or really, really scared. The young woman then sighed and looked at the three unconscious men. "Well I guess I need to tidy this up." and she began dragging them (without any real effort) into a pile in front of the Looking Glass. She then took the gun that had been in Alice's side and tucked it in the back of her pants, then took both the other guns, emptied them and tossed the bullets and weapons into the shadows. "There that should do it. No, wait I almost forgot!" She then reached into her jacket and pulled out a white envelope with a big pink ribbon attached to it and set it on top of the pile of unconscious goons. "That's better." "How did you do that, why did you do that?". Alice asked and the young woman laughed."Good Alice, keep asking questions, but you need to stop looking for answers. It is the only way you'll ever learn anything." "How can I learn anything without answers?" "By asking the right questions." "Okay, now you're just being confusing." The young woman laughed again. "Oh Alice, we are going to have such a time. First things first though." She grabbed Alice's hands and produced a small knife from her pocket, cutting away the zip strip. Alice's hands had gone numb from lack of blood flow then as she rubbed and moved them, the sharp pain of thousands needles attacked them. "I am sorry." The young woman said grabbing Alice's hands and looking at the marks were the zip strip hand cut into her wrists. "They hurt you didn't they." "I've had worse, listen I umm, I am really grateful for the rescue but I really need to go now." "You are absolutely right Alice, you do need to go." The young woman said still holding Alice's hand. "Unfortunately, it's not where you think you want to go, but where you actually want to be." "Why do I have the feeling you're not rescuing me?" "Oh Alice I am rescuing you, you just don't know what from and you're not going to like my methods."With that she used Alice's hands to spin her around in a circle (The girl was incredibly strong) and used the momentum to toss Alice through the Looking Glass and back to Wonderland.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, long time between updates for me. Real life have been well, real. I actually have alot more done but I need to fix it up so hopefully this will hold you over. Not much happens and I was hoping to finish the rest first but oh well.**

**I own nothing, enjoy!**

Carol didn't know what she had expected being abducted to be like, but this sure as hell wasn't anything she could have thought up. The men lead both her and David out and to a van at the curb. Even with it still being broad daylight not a single person was around to witness them being shoved inside and the door slammed shut. Three of the men got in the back with them, at least one gun was always pointed at David while Dodo sat in the passenger seat and the fourth man drove. It was a short drive to a bunch of abandoned buildings close to her home. In fact it was one of these buildings that David had found Alice in. When Carol realized this a sick feeling began to form in her stomach. She knew Alice and David had never told her the full truth, but now she was wondering exactly how Alice had gotten hurt and was it actually coincidence that David had found her? What were they involved in? When the van stopped the men lead them out and into a building. The place was dark, rundown, and smelled. Carol couldn't imagine they were planning on letting her and David go. Then the thought popped into her head that they were going to disappear and nobody would know what happened. Alice would never know. She'd already lost her father that way, now to lose her mother and boyfriend at once. She couldn't let them do that to her child, she'd been hurt enough. Carol knew she would have to be smart and quick. She'd have to wait for the perfect moment, take any advantage she could find, she wasn't going to let them do came to a room with a huge mirror leaning against the wall, when they saw it Dodo smiled, a grin of a cat who had stole the canary. "Here we are, ready to go home Hatter? Finally face up to all your lying and double crossing?""You want to take me back Dodo then fine, you got me." David looking the otherman in the eye. "But Carol doesn't belong in this. You said the oysters don't belong there and we needed to send them home, so why take her with us? You'll just be bringing another oyster through to contaminate our world. Leave her here, she'll go home and tell Alice that I just left. Didn't want to be here anymore and bolted.""And why would she do that? Why wouldn't she go running to get you help?""Because what mother in their right mind would want their child involved in all this or with me?" David said never taking his eyes off Dodo. "She'll keep her mouth shut because it'll keep her daughter safe and it'll keep me out of her life.""Touching, really." Dodo said. "But trusting anything you say Hatter is the same as sticking a hand in a basket full of angry vipers. It will only end one way." Then he turned to the other men. "What are you waiting for, take them through!" and then they were being marched forward towards the mirror. David was trying to wrench free, which ended as Dodo shoved a gun to Carol's side telling him to cooperate or he'd not have to worry about the ramifications of taking her with them. They stopped right before the glass and Carol was more then confused as David turned to her and said. "Just remember to breath." And then the men holding her pulled her into the glass and she was falling. Screaming was impossible and David's instruction on breathing was a joke. She was falling through glass and it was like she was drowning while skydiving and she was sure that she was going to die if only from a heart attack! She burst through in a rush, if the two men hadn't been holding on to her she would have gone falling straight to the ground. They steadied her and one of them said their first words to her. "It's okay ma'm, just takes a little getting used to. You'll be fine in a moment." She looked at him and he gave her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder. She turned and took in her surroundings. They were in some sort of hall, with tile floor and beautiful wood walls. Directly behind her was another mirror about half the size of the one they had just left behind and there were men wearing what looked like weird lab gear, except with plastic covering it surrounding the mirror running tests and fiddling with things. Then all around the hall there were more men in suits, but with designs on them, designs that looked like playing of these new suited men came up to Dodo to speak, but before he could open his mouth Dodo was ordering him about. "Take us to the scarab, I need to get these two to the palace now, the King is waiting." Whatever the man had been about to say was gone and he turned around and lead them out of the hall and to the roof, where the weirdest looking metal contraption sat running. They were taken inside it and Carol quickly learned that it flew, and although she did not share her daughters fear of heights and flying, she was starting to understand it a lot better now. As they flew two men sat at the controls while the original four and Dodo held her and David so that they could see out at the impossible city below and then the immense forest surrounding it. Carol was in awe."Where are we?" She asked unable to rip her eyes off the view below."My home." David answered. "Wonderland."

Alice came reeling out of the Looking Glass, her fall being broken by a soft layer of grass and the first thing she saw was a small patch of flowers right by her face. "God, this is all too familiar." She muttered as she pulled herself up and looked around. She was in the rundown building she had fallen through to when she had shown up in Wonderland the first time. The lights were barely functioning, and the little bit they did was with sporadic flickers. Long over looked leaks had became tiny ponds through out the halls and nature seemed to be taking over everywhere, but especially right around the Looking Glass, the spot which she had fallen on to again. Then she was struck with a question she had never even thought to ask before. "Wait, are there two Looking Glasses?" "Yes and No." A voice chimed in from in front of the Looking Glass, it was the young woman. She was holding her palm against the surface of the glass with her head cocked as if listening."The history of the Looking Glass is an interesting story, and one I will tell you but right now Alice, we have places to be and people to avoid so chop, chop!" She turned around and clapped her hands for emphasis smiling, but when she saw Alice just sitting there on the ground staring at her, her face fell. "Oh no, I didn't hurt you tossing you through like that did I? I'm so sorry, oh god. I was trying to be all tough and bravado filled you know, to deal with those guys. Have to put on a show and all that, I guess I got a little carried away. I do that here and there." She came and kneeled in front of Alice who leaned away, but she just stuck the back of her hand against Alice's forehead as if checking for a temperature."Why are you feeling my forehead?""To check to see if you're injured. You don't have a concussion or anything do you?" Okay, Alice thought. This girl is definitely nuts."Why did you bring me here?""Because you Alice, have caused quite a stir." She patted Alice's cheek. "And there are some very nasty folks that want you so that they can do horrible things, but before they can do those things they'll have to find you and that is why we need to get going." She popped up to her feet and held a hand out for Alice, who just crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I don't trust you.""You don't trust me?" The young woman said then shrugged. "I guess that's okay, you don't really know who I am or my intentions do you? It is perfectly understandable. I mean why trust an absolute stranger who just rescued you from three large kidnappers with just a touch to each, but since I somewhat kidnapped you myself that seems understandable. But truth be told Alice, it does hurt a little, my ego has taken quite a toll.""Then send me home and maybe I can trust you.""Oh no, see I had intended for you to stay home. All safe and sound and snug with your boyfriend. Having your umm, romantic evening and all that. But things got slightly let see how do I out this? muddled.""How are things muddled?""It's well, complicated and we are almost out of time the guards will be here in a few moments and I am really sorry Alice, I didn't want to do this." She then touched Alice's cheek and everything went black.

Alice came to in an instant. Bolting upright into a sitting position she looked around and was disoriented. A moment ago she had been in a dilapidated building in the city, now she was in the middle of a picturesque clearing in the woods that looked like it was set up for camping, a fire set and ready to light with extra wood close by. What looked like packs of supplies leaning against logs set around the clearing as seating and a simple, really old fashioned tent like she'd imagined Charlie grew up with. "Ah, good you're awake." The young woman said suddenly behind Alice, who jumped to her feet and turned to face her. "We need to get some ground rules set before I go run my little errand, you ready to pay attention?""No.""Too bad, because time is running out and you don't realize it but you really want to do as I say right now.""Why should I trust you?""Oh, I don't need you to trust me Alice I just need you to do as I say." She grinned. "Big difference. Besides all I need is for you to stay put while I run my errand. It shouldn't even take me a full day. You shall be perfectly safe as long as you stay around this clearing and don't try to run off.""Why should I do anything you want me to, you kidnapped me." "Because you have no idea where you are, what dangers are outside of this little safe haven or even which direction to go in. Truthfully you really don't have much of a choice but to behave.""No." Alice said standing up."No?" The young woman raised one eyebrow."I am tired of being pulled around, I am not just going to sit here and wait while you do who knows what because somebody is supposedly going to do horrible things to me. If I need to be here in Wonderland or need to hide out from somebody for a while then fine, I will. But I am doing it my way and I want to know why.""Alice, please I am only trying to help you.""Cut the act. You're not some sweet little girl. You're something strong and powerful but I am guessing that power has limits since you aren't knocking me out cold or locking me up to go run your errand. You can't make me stay here and get what you want to get done at the same time. So why don't you just be straight with me." Alice crossed her arms and stared her in the eyes, and what she saw was amusement."Alice, you're stubborn independent streak is something I just love about you, but unfortunately if you let that guide you right now you will lose something you hold most dear, and you are absolutely right. My power does have limits, every power should because limits are what cause us to get creative, and I am a creature of creativity. Now you want straight, I will be perfectly straight with you. You want to leave and take care of yourself then do so. You will most likely survive as you are a resourceful one. I will still keep an eye on you as your survival is important to me. Somehow though your happiness became important to me as well. Ridiculous as that is, so I will tell you that if you leave this little safe haven I have created for you you will be leaving behind something very important.""What?""No, see you are looking for an answer and it isn't about answers Alice, it's about asking questions.""No, I want answers.""Sometimes you can be really thick, do you know that? Oh right very well. Bribery it is then. So here is my deal. If you stay here and behave for one day while I take care of my errand I will answer questions for you. You will know what is going on and then I will let you choose how to handle it. I won't do anything to interfere unless you want."Alice considered her options. She had no way of knowing if she would uphold her end of the bargain and Alice was certain that the big picture wasn't a pretty one and she'd need to know whats going on. But would she tell Alice the truth? Besides, even if Alice said screw it and went off on her own, she really didn't have any idea where she was."Fine, one day. I'll give you one day but when you get back you better tell me what the hell is going on." "Alice, you always were a smart girl." The young woman kissed her on the forehead before she could back away. "Now as you can see you should be all set on supplies. Just make yourself comfy now and I will be back in a jiffy!" She then turned and ran into the tree line leaving Alice alone, waiting.

Duchess sat at her vanity staring at her reflection. She had finished dressing ages ago, her hair, make up and outfit were flawless. But she couldn't seemto make herself get up. She kept looking at herself and thinking the same thing, she was she was beautiful, an almost flawless creature. She could insight desire in most any man. No she was lacking not in the physical, but in the heart. She couldn't open herself up like other women, be vulnerable. She had these walls in place. Walls she couldn't break down that protected her, she had done what she had to to survive the Queens reign and now she was paying the price. The one thing she wanted the most and she was it pushing away, Jack. He wanted to trust her, to connect with her but she was lacking. She just couldn't answer his questions about her past. Her childhood, her life before the Queen had made her into the Duchess. It just wasn't in her. She looked for the ability to open up and she found nothing. She felt him withdraw from her every time she closed up on him and she hated herself for it. Yes, she was still his fiancé but for it was only a title. No wedding was being planned, how could he make her his queen if she didn't give him a reason to trust her? And the best part was Duchess didn't even care if she was the Queen, she just wanted Jack Heart to care about her like she knew he had cared about Alice. He had proposed to Alice, twice. Offering the Stone of Wonderland, a sign that he trusted her with the key to the kingdom. But the engagement between Duchess and Jack was an arrangement by his parents. She had been his mothers creature and his father had made the arrangement for marriage telling his wife that by using Duchess they should be able to better control Jack, because what man wouldn't come to heel for her? Well they had greatly underestimated their son and his strength. She had fallen for Jack but still had to do what she could to survive, but she wanted to protect Jack as well. Which meant she would have to betray him to keep him safe. And she did. She did everything the Queen asked of her, she couldn't do anything else. Until the day she ordered Jack's execution, then she had done the unthinkable and defied the Queen and helped Jack escape. Admitting to him for the first time that she cared for that was as close as she could get to opening up. She was lacking and all she wanted was for Jack to overlook her glaring flaw and love her anyway. She wanted it so badly it hurt. She just wanted to know he cared about her too."Excuse me?" A voice asked from behind her. Startled Duchess turned around and saw a petite young woman with short mousy hair and wearing oyster style clothes."What are you doing in my chambers?" Duchess demanded standing up, her height making her seem a giant in front of this tiny girl. "I am here Duchess because you want something very badly, and I can help you get it." The young woman smiled and Duchess knew she was in trouble.


	8. Chapter 8

**Next Chapter hope you enjoy and I own nothing:**)

The palace was the former home of the Heart family before the Alice of Legend had come to Wonderland. It had been known as the House of Cards then and since that Alice had caused their rule to fall, they had abandoned using it as a home. Instead using other fortresses and then finally about one hundred years after that Alice had left and they had long since destroyed the Kingdom of the Knights and had claimed rule of all the corners of Wonderland they had created the Casino and used that as their home. No one was ever certain why. The palace was by far much grander and with its amazing gardens and hedge mazes it should have been the most sought after home. Instead they had kept it carefully maintained and staffed, but not a single member of the royal family had stepped foot inside of it, until Jack became had always wondered why his parents never came here, but he was now glad they didn't as he had a place to call his home and a center to rebuild Wonderland free from his parents legacy. He was once again in his study looking over the file Caterpillar had left him on Hatter. Questions, so many questions in the margins. What was Caterpillar trying to figure out? Why was the grass and flowers in the Tea Shoppe so important to Caterpillar? The knock on the door was a welcome distraction from trying to figure out what went on in Caterpillar's head and he called for the person to enter. It was Number Ten."Your majesty, both teams have returned from the Looking Glass." "Were the missions successful?" "Dodo has acquired his target, but there were complications." "What may I ask are these complications?" "He brought an oyster back with him as well." "Alice?" "No sir, Carpenters wife." Jack closed his eyes for a moment and said as evenly as possible. "Dodo brought Alice's mother here to Wonderland, why am I not surprised? I should have known better then to have him retrieve Hatter. What about Number Nine? Tell me they were successful if only so we may fix Dodo's mistake." Number Ten grimaced then took a breath and responded. "Number Nine and his team did find the three men who escaped through the Looking Glass and they are currently locked up until we are ready to question them, but the whole situation was rather peculiar." "What do you mean?" "Number Nine and his team were on their way back to the Looking Glass to return home before it lost all it's power when they found the men, unconscious and in a pile." "The ring?" "Still missing your majesty, but this was left on the pile of men." Number Ten replied but handed Jack a white envelope with a pink bow and "His Majesty" written in intricate calligraphy across the front. It had already been opened but inside Jack found a piece of plain white paper and written in the same handwriting were the words. "You owe me big." then another line appeared under the first "See you soon." Jack raised a brow then tucked the note inside his jacket. The next moment the door opened and Dodo marched in. "We have him." He told Jack. "The suits are questioning him now." "I have a question for you Dodo." Jack asked irritated that the man would just march right into his private study. "Why in the world would you bring Alice's mother with you when your mission was to escort Hatter home? Especially since you know that the ring is missing and we can't just send her back." Dodo clenched his teeth, clearly unhappy. "She overheard us talking and then she involved herself. If I left her there she would have just told her daughter and then she would have followed us here, and I thought you wanted us to avoid having that oyster return." "Alice," Jack said the name pointedly so that Dodo would remember that she was owed respect in this kingdom. "Was not supposed to know we had come for him no, but having her mother disappear like her father at the same time as Hatter, you don't think that is going to rouse her suspicions? Where do you think the first place she will look is?" "Well then I guess it is a good thing the Looking Glass is shut down then isn't it." Dodo sneered. "Now, what do you want me to do with Hatter? Please tell me I get to interrogate him as well, I have longed for the day I could make that carpetbagger tell me the truth." "Hatter is a hero of Wonderland and will be treated with respect." Jack said cooly. "The only reason I wanted him back here was to keep him from harm, and if any harm has come to him or Alice's mother then I will be holding you personally responsible Dodo. Now take me to them." "Of course." Dodo said dryly. "Right this way." and led Jack and the Ten of Clubs out of the Kings study.

Hatter had been taken to be interrogated once they were at the palace. He said nothing to the suits questioning him and the whole thing would have been extremely boring had it not also been very informative. The questions they asked had given him some insight to what was going on. Apparently Jack hadn't set it up for him to go after Alice in the first place, whoever that tech had been had played him and played him well. The fact that the Stone of Wonderland was missing again wasn't going to help him either, he was stuck here and so was Carol. They took him from the interrogation to the Throne Room. Before questioning him they had taken his jacket, button down green shirt, shoes, socks, and hat leaving him in only his white under shirt and jeans. The cold white marble of the floor left bare feet freezing and made the rest of him uncomfortable as well. The Throne Room was certainly much more traditional then at the Casino. Two thrones sat on top a a round raised red carpeted dais where tapestries hung displaying scenes that Hatter didn't care much to look and decipher but were done in red and white in usual style of the Heart's. The room in itself was huge but at the moment held no other furniture but the two thrones. The only people present were a suit and Carol who stood before the empty thrones and Hatter was relieved to see her and he noted she was no longer cuffed. Too bad he couldn't say the same for himself. When Carol saw him she called "David!" and started forward but the suit put on arm out in front of her in warning a gently kept her back. Hatter gave her a small nod and smile to let her know he was okay as the other two suits led him to the other side away from her. He knew why they in this room and who they were waiting on, and it wasn't long before the doors were opened by the Ten of Clubs and the new King of Wonderland strode in, Dodo behind him and then the Ten of Clubs closing the doors and following his monarch as he made his way to them. "Jack Chase?" Carol asked in disbelief as he approached her. "What the hell are you doing here?" "Heart." Hatter corrected her. "His name is Jack Heart and he's the reason we're here, right your majesty?" "Carol." Jack said paying Hatter no attention and going straight to Carol and grabbing her hands. "I wish I were welcoming you into my home under more pleasant circumstances, unfortunately due to a very severe lack of good judgement you were brought here against your wishes and I personally like to assure you that as soon as possible I will ensure your safe return home and I apologize for the wretched behavior any of my people may have displayed and for the confusion you must be feeling right now." "Your people?" Carol asked removing her hands from his and crossing them across her chest. "Yes, again I must apologize when we first met in your world I was not completely honest with you. My name is Jack Heart and this is my kingdom." "You're a king?" "Yes." "Of Wonderland?" "Yes." "Okay, fine." She said uncrossing her arms. Right this moment she reminded Hatter so much of Alice his chest hurt with missing her. "So you said you were sorry and that you'd send us home, when?" "As soon as is possible I promise you Carol I will see to your safe return." "Okay, you'll see the my return home, and David?" Jack was silent and took a step back, Dodo chuckled and the King sent him a look as he stepped up onto the dais and turned to the suits. "You three may leave." The suits looked like they were about to argue when Number Ten came and grabbed Hatter's arm and very clearly stated. "Go." The three suits left. Carol stood by herself and both Number Ten and Dodo each stood on either side of Hatter. "Are you going to answer my question Jack?" Carol asked again. "What about David? Are you sending him home with me?" "David's real name is Hatter." Jack answered. "He is one of my people, and this is his home." "I know he's called Hatter. " Carol responded. "I also know Wonderland is where he's from as that's been made very clear since that man showed up." She pointed to Dodo. "What I want to know is are you planning on letting him come back with me as that is now his home." Jack was silent. He took a moment before he spoke again, making certain he measured his words and spoke for the first time to Hatter. "You used to work for my family, you also smuggled for the resistance and helped to feed the refugees in the Great Library. You played both sides and weren't trusted by either." Dodo snorted, Jack shot him another clearly annoyed look then continued. "You were selfish and only did what you had to to take care of your own self and did not have a care what was happening with the rest of Wonderland. Am I correct?" "Yup, that pretty much sums it up." Hatter replied. Jack nodded then continued."Then the conman known for only taking care of his on skin is suddenly taking bullets, launching rescue missions into the Casino, taking on a whole deck of suits with only a horse and sword and even willing to fight me when I had a sword and you a small branch. What changed Hatter, what changed you so much?" "You know the reason Jack. It's the same reason I left. Now you want to tell me why you brought me back? I hear you've been having security issues and that somebody took the ring. As you can tell I don't have it." He looked down and wiggled his bare toes. "No, I don't believe you are involved in the theft of the ring, but I think that someone connected to it may have helped you to go through the Looking Glass." "The girl." "Yes. But that is a discussion for another time, right now we have a more pressing matter, the reason I brought you back." "What?" "It was brought to my attention before I came to you and Alice in the forest to escort her to Caterpillar that you Hatter, are not a well man." "Come again?" "Before the scientists perfected the process of draining the oysters of their emotions to make teas. Oyster emotions were still something our people liked to experience. But it was different. The oysters weren't drained, some of our people were just sensitive and by being around the oysters they were able to experience what the oysters were feeling. Some just enjoyed the feelings, others were deeply affected. Some were so sensitive to them that they can be driven mad by prolonged exposure." "Let me guess, you're trying to tell me I'm one of those sensitive people?". "Yes." "Oh I'm sure it's all about my mental health and it has nothing to do with Alice turning you down and picking me instead. You're just deeply concerned for my well being." Hatter said sarcastically. "I am. I owe you a debt Hatter. You and Alice saved Wonderland and took the kingdom from my mother so that I could become king. I truly wish I could just let you go back through the Looking Glass so you both may live happily ever after, but that is not the case. As we speak there is a scarab waiting to take you to the Hospital of Dreams. You will be evaluated. If the doctors determine you are able to leave the hospital you will be taken to a secure location until we are certain any lingering affects are cleared up and any addiction to oyster emotion is under control." "No." Hatter said through clenched teeth. "I am not going anywhere unless it is back with Alice." "I am afraid you don't have a choice." Jack replied. "Want to bet?" Hatter asked full of rage. He didn't know how he'd stop them, but he was going home! Before Jack could respond the doors to the Throne Room opened and Duchess stood there, wearing a sparkling light blue dress and looking as tall and blonde as ever. "Darling." Jack said not taking his eyes off of Hatter. "Whatever it is now is not a good time, perhaps you could come back later." "Actually." Another voice said and the petite young woman who had pretended to be a tech stepped up to Duchess and Hatter realized she was holding a gun to the tall blonde. "I think that you're going to make time for what Duchess here wants, now don't you your majesty?"

When she stepped into the Throne Room with Duchess the scene before her couldn't be more tense. The King stood on the dais looking down on the Hatter, Carol stood alone to one side, scared, mad and feeling very protective of the Hatter, Dodo was being all smug and enjoying the Hatter's anger and helplessness (that man was an idiot) the Club was worried, and the Hatter, well he was a hot mess of emotion. She could tell she didn't have a lot of time to do what she needed before things became irreversible. No time for games then, well not a lot of games at Heart stepped off his dais and towards her noticing she had his fiancé at gunpoint."Who are you and what do you want?" She looked at Jack. "I suggest you stay right there." Jack stopped and she smiled. "Very nice, very nice indeed. Now, who am I? What do I want? Why do people keep asking me those? I am nobody, nothing! I want nothing! Why is everyone so obsessed with getting those answers they can't see the questions they need to be asking!" She practically growled as she took the gun away from Duchess's side and pulled the woman farther into the room and closer to the others. She noticed the Hatter was thinking then he asked. "Do you have a name then? Something to call yourself?" She cocked an eyebrow at Hatter and laughed."Oh my, you are a clever one. That's what I've always liked about you, you always ask questions and never settle for answers. So yes, I have a name. Not many people know it. In fact I think there are only two people right now in all of Wonderland that know my real name." then she smiled even wider. "But I was given a title, something to call myself as you put it, would you like to know what it is?" "Yeah, it'd be nice." "I am known," She said with a dramatic pause and then finished with a sweeping bow. "As the Cheshire Cat, a pleasure I'm sure." as she straightened she grinned at them. "That's impossible!" Dodo cried. "The Cheshire Cat is a myth. And besides even if it were true, the Cheshire Cat is male." "Oh I was male. This gender is a newer development as it suited my purposes at the time. I must say though I like being female, I am actually more powerful in this form then I ever was before and I am all jiggly in different places and smell so much nicer too." "It proves nothing." Dodo sneered. "You are lying." "I guess you want proof then? Very well." She said and turned to Duchess and handed her the gun. "Here lovely take this, I don't need it." she turned back around. She knew the weapon was already pointed at her before Duchess shouted "Don't move!" the Cat rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers and the gun fell apart in the blondes hands. Duchess stared at the pile of gun pieces before her and started to back away but the Cat just held up a hand and she froze, her eyes widened as she realized she couldn't move. "Why can't I move? What are you doing?" "Proving a point, now be a good little hostage and hush up." Duchess's mouth snapped shut and the Cat looked at all those before her. "As you can see even if you don't believe me as to who I say I am you might want to at least play along since I am in complete control over the King's fiancé.""What do you want?" Number Ten asked and she growled. "We just went over this!" "Why are you here then?" The Hatter quickly asked. Oh, he was a good one. Knowing that sometimes you just needed to come at it from a different direction. "You are fast becoming my favorite, I am here for a reason see, the King has something that I need and I am willing to make an exchange." "What do I have?" Jack asked curious. "First let me tell you what I am willing to trade, I assume you got my present earlier from the Looking Glass?" "The three men?" "Yes, very considerate of me to pick up your mess don't you think? But anyway, I am willing to let the Duchess go, all safe and sound so that you two can make a go of it. Get married, have a bundle of tall blonde babies and rule Wonderland all happily ever after and what not. I am also willing to give you this." She held up her hand and showed everyone that on her right index finger she was wearing the Stone of Wonderland. "I hear you've been looking for it and since I took it from those goons earlier I am willing to give it back should you meet my price." "What is the price?" Jack asked. She could see him calculating. Everything he wanted was right here before him, Duchess. Oh how he wanted her safe, and the ring to ensure his kingdoms safety. She had him where she wanted him."It is simple, you let me take what I came for and you to quit interfering. There is something very bad about to happen in Wonderland and I, being the very benevolent creature that I am, am arranging things so that you Jack Heart remain king and that things continue progressing towards the greater good as you have been wanting.""What is happening?" He asked concerned."Oh don't worry. See all you have to do is stay here and live your kingly little life as I have everything arranged, or did until you decided to go and kidnap the Hatter.""What does David have to do with all this?" Carol asked speaking for the first time since the Cat had entered the room. "Carol, dearest." She purred and stepped towards Alice's mother. "I was surprised you ended up here too, but no worries. While I get things settled Jack is going to keep you safe here at the palace and once it is over he will send you back home.""But you what about David?" Carol asked again. "Oh I want the Hatter to go back too. I never wanted him back in Wonderland in the first place." She shot a look at the King. "Caterpillar was right about the affect Alice had on him Jack, but he was wrong to tell you to keep them apart and by bringing him back here you messed everything up and put everyone in more danger, that is why I want you to quit interfering.""So I should let the man go mad?" Jack asked. "You mean well Jack, you really do but you have no idea what is going on." The Cat sighed. "Now do we have deal or not? The ring and Duchess in exchange for you butting out and letting me take what I came for?""Perhaps." Jack answered. "If you tell me what you came for?""I came for him." She nodded towards the Hatter. "I thought you would have figured that out by now.""What do you want with David?" Carol asked moving across and in front of him. He tried to move himself in front of her but the Club and Dodo stopped him."I want nothing Carol, but somebody else wants him so I plan on delivering.""And why should I go with you?" The Hatter asked. "Even if Jack agrees What makes you think I'll go? You going to force me?""Oh no I plan on bribing you. I've been doing that a lot lately.""What do you have that I want?" He asked and she smiled as she had been waiting for him to ask this."Simple, you'll come with me because I have the one thing you want more then anything else in any world." She paused as she let him figure it out, then added. "I have Alice.""Where is she?" He asked, his voice was like cold steel. Oh yes he wanted her back. Good she could use that. "Safe, for the moment. But I promised her a present if she behaved herself while I was gone, but we both know how well she listens so I suggest we make haste.""Why do you have my daughter?" Carol asked."Because she is Alice and this is Wonderland, I am pretty sure we can all do the math on that one." The Cat replied exasperated. "And now I need the Hatter, Alice wants him and for some reason I care so are we done with all this, can I just take you now Hatter? I really am in a hurry." "You'll take me to Alice?" He asked. "Yes. No tricks, no traps. Just hugs and kisses and whatever else it is you mortals do to express affection.""Fine, but if you've hurt her Cat, we'll be having words.""Hurt her? I rescued her and yet I get treated like the bad guy. Just peachy." She rolled her eyes. "Now Jack, you going to get the cuffs off the Hatter or do you not want Duchess and the ring?" Jack nodded to the Ten of Clubs who took a key fromDodo and undid the Hatter's cuffs. Hatter looked at Jack. "If anything happens to Carol...""He'll take good care of her or I will turn him inside out and roll him into a pool of salt and lemon juice." The Cat said impatiently. "And Carol the Hatter will keep Alice safe and Alice will keep him safe and blah, blah, blah. Now Duchess, take this." She slipped the ring onto the blondes left ring finger. "Keep it on you, not in a vault. You're supposed to have it, Jack loves you and you are supposed to be his queen. Besides Jack." She turned to look at the king. "There is a traitor in your court. That is how the ring was stolen, now time to leave." She stepped forward and took the Hatter's hand and started dragging him to the doors. She could feel his surprise at how strong she was."David!" Carol called and started to follow them. The Cat flung open the door, pulled the Hatter through with her then shut it an instant before Carol reached them. Carol pulled the door open a second after it closed but the long straight hallway behind it was completely empty. They had disappeared.

**So I doubt anyone was surprised by the "Big Reveal" of the Cheshire Cat, I just hope you like her.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Next one enjoy and I own nothing:)**

One moment Hatter was being pulled out of the Throne Room and then the next he was overcome with dizziness, nausea and fell really hard onto the forest floor. "Yeah, sorry." The Cat said looking down at him and not looking like she was sorry at all. "I don't normally do that kind of traveling to people while they're conscious, but rough on the system." "Thanks for making an exception." Hatter said dryly. "My pleasure." "Where are we and where's Alice?" Hatter asked getting to his bare feet. Forest floor, bare feet. Brilliant. "We are across Wonderland, far from the old House of Cards and Knights Kingdom and between what used to be the Red and White Kingdoms." "The what?" "With all the time you spent smuggling in the Great Library did you never read up on Wonderland's history?""Yeah well Dodo was never one for lending out, especially to me but I know a bit.""So you know the story of the four corners of Wonderland?""No, not really." "I'm not surprised, it would have been one of the first things the Queen of Hearts got rid of." "Can we save the history lesson till later yeah? Where's Alice?"The Cat smiled. "She's this way, come along and as we go I'll tell you the story.""Lovely." Hatter rolled his eyes and as she started leading he followed, wondering what might be hiding in these wood that were obviously more secluded then the forest he and Alice had met Charlie.  
"So Wonderland used to be divided into only two kingdoms, the Red and the White. They were constantly at odds for every century or so a large battle would erupt and one side would win for awhile and things would settle down, then another war and the other side would win. It was a constant cycle like clockwork, that was brought about by certain events each time. Now with everyone trying for a bit of power, from the wars formed two more Kingdoms, The Card Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Knights. Thus Wonderland was split into four corners.""So wait a tic." Hatter said thinking. "I know about the Cards, as the Heart's have always ruled them and they destroyed the Kingdom of the Knights, but wasn't the knights king the Red King?"The Cat smiled. "Yes, he was. The Red Kingdom married their daughter, an ill tempered spoiled brat, to the King of the Knights, who was fair and wise in hopes of doing what was best for their kingdom by allowing him to lead and gaining allies with the knights, so the King of the Knights became the Red King and and their daughter the Red Queen and both kingdoms benefited from the union, but after the Heart's seized power it didn't matter that they were united.""So what about the White Kingdom?""The White Kingdom was ruled by a young woman, the White Queen.""What happened to the White Kingdom and the other Queen? Why haven't I ever heard of it or her before?.""Why haven't you? It's a good question.""You going to answer it?""No.""Do you even know the answer?""Of course""Then why not tell it?""Because you don't need me to yet and besides we are here." She said stepping through the last of the brush and into a clearing set up as a campsite Hatter followed her and she called. "Honey, I'm home! Come on out I've brought you a present!" Hatter heard a rustling from the tent and an angry voice calling back. "I'm still here so you better tell me what the hell is going on!" Then a brunette head stuck itself out the flap followed by a slender body and Hatter felt his heart skip and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and could feel a grin creeping onto his face. Alice, she was here and okay. "Alice!" He called, she turned towards him startled as he began moving towards her. "Hatter!" She cried then she ran straight into his arms, he caught her in weighted her weight slammed into him. Oh god she felt so good. He didn't realize until he had her in his arms again how messed up he was feeling, like bits and pieces of himself were floating away until he connected with her and it was like she pulled him back together and kept his soul in place, firmly attached to her. He pulled back just enough to catch her mouth in a kiss and felt as both of them melted. This was right, this was exactly where he was supposed to be, with Alice. "Well I'm glad you like my surprise." The Cat said interrupting their reunion, They pulled apart and Hatter made sure to put himself in front of Alice. "But I am going to give you a bit of space before you get too physical, I don't really like to watch humans going at it." "No." Alice said. "I stayed put now you owe me some answers about what's going on.""All in good time." The Cat said dismissively inspecting her nails."No, now. That was the deal." Alice started to step forward but Hatter pushed her back. "Alice, don't. You don't know who she is, she's dangerous." Hatter warned."Yeah, I kind of figured she wasn't just some random chick.""No, she's the Cheshire Cat." Hatter explained."The Cheshire Cat, like with the floaty head thing?" Alice asked incredulous."I can still do that one!" The Cat grinned. "I do love the classics you know.""No," Hatter butted back in. He did not want to encourage anything with the Cat. "Well yes. There is only one Cheshire Cat, but like the real Wonderland isn't a story in a kids book, the Cheshire Cat isn't a comical purple kitty. She is the most dangerous creature in all of Wonderland, hell I don't even think creature is the right word for what the Cat is." "Being, concept, hallucination," The Cat added. "Oh dear god it's here! I've been referred to as many things. Not a one of them is accurate or wrong I just am." "Fine, whatever. I want to know what's happening." Alice was being stubborn. Just great, she meets one of the most dangerous things in existence and she wants to argue with it, god he loved this frustrating woman."And you will Alice I just thought I should give you two time to see each other and clean up since the Hatter just walked through the forest bare foot. There are a change of clothes for each of you in the chest in the tent." The Cat offered."There isn't a chest in the tent." Alice Cat snapped her fingers. "Now there is. So yes, I will be back in a short while. You two get cleaned, express your happiness to see each other again in whatever messy mortal fashion you feel like and I will be back to give some explanations, wonderful." She stepped forward towards them and grabbed Hatter's chin with her hand, turning his face from side to side. "You don't look too worse for wear, how do you feel?" She asked."Fine, umm what are doing?" He asked wanting to slap her hands away but he didn't want to do anything to upset her when she was this close to Alice. "Just checking to make sure that there was no permanent damage from your kidnapping and being brought here." She said tilting his head up then down. "It wasn't exactly a tea party, but I wasn't beaten. I've had worse." "Yes, yes you have." She said releasing his chin and looking in his eyes. "But we aren't talking of the same worse." She lightly slapped his cheek then looked over and smiled at Alice. "By the way, I was very happy you went with this one, he has always been one of my favorites and he has the cutest smile.""Why'd you bring him here?" Alice asked."I didn't being him here. I rescued him from his kidnappers like I did for you.""The same people tried to take Hatter too?""No, Jack Heart had him brought here, but I'll let the Hatter explain all that. I'll be back shortly, toodles!" And she ran off into the tree line."So I don't suppose you have any idea where in Wonderland we are?" Alice asked resting her chin on Hatter's shoulder and pressing her front to his back."Somewhere between the old Red and White Kingdoms." He answered looking sideways and down at her."Where and what is that?""The hell if I know, I'd say we've pretty much been put in a pretty little fish bowl and the Cat wants to watch us swim.""Let's just hope she is one kitty that doesn't like the taste of fish.""Yeah, let's." He turned around and pulled her to him again. Oh how he needed this. "I missed you." He whispered and kissed her head. "There was a little bit of time I was worried we wouldn't be able to get back to you.""We?" Alice asked looking up at him confused. Uh oh, how was he going to explain this?"So yeah, your mum is here.""What?" "She kind of got kidnapped with me.""What! Where is she?""Don't worry, she's perfectly safe.""Where Hatter?" He could see why the Cat left, this wasn't going to be pretty."Why don't we sit down and go over the whole story yeah?" He asked and Alice glared. Yeah, not pretty at all.

**Alright so in the next chapter I plan on answering some questions, like what's the actual plot line:) but m****y inspiration behind this story was questions I had after watching the movie so I am asking if you a question you want explored like how come there are two looking Glasses(the one she followed Agent White through and then the one she came home through) but no one ever mentioned it again? Let me know as if you do thanks:)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow, this chapter took me a long time to finish. Mostly because I rewrote it ten bazillion times. It's a decently long chapter but it's actually the shortest version of it I wrote! Anyway I hope you enjoy it. I am also changing the rating of the story to "M" because this is my first time publishing here and I'd rather be safe then sorry. If you think I should rate it lower or higher let me know. **

**Enjoy and I own nothing:)**

"So now my mother is in Wonderland, at some palace with Jack?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." Hatter responded. He had explained how he had opened the door to Dodo and everything that followed.

"I can't believe you let this happen!" She shouted at him suddenly.

"It's not like I was given much choice now was I!" He shouted taken aback, his voice raising in pitch. "I didn't ask to get brought back myself and I didn't even know she was home until she came out and put herself in the thick of it.".

"Oh so now it's her fault?" Alice asked sarcastically.

"Thats not what I said Alice." Hatter replied angrily.

"Why did you leave her there by herself with the people that abducted her?" He couldn't believe this.

"I left her with Jack, who has no grief with her just me. She'll be safer there then here with the Cheshire Cat. Why don't you trust that I did everything I could to keep her safe? You should know me well enough."

"Yes, but she's in Wonderland!" Alice shouted and Hatter could see that look, the look that was reserved for when she thought of one person. "Just like my Dad was. She's with Jack and all his people and somebody is going to talk about my Dad and she's going to find out what happened to him. Somebody is going to tell her that Dad died because of me!"

"Because of you huh?" Hatter asked in anger. No way, no way he was going to let her guilt herself over this. "Had nothing to do with the Walrus who shot him? Or the Queen who had him abducted and adjusted to work for her, or Jack and the Resistance who came to you and got you involved and put you in danger? Nope, not at all. It was all your fault because seeing you again woke him up. Forget that you never asked for any of it, that you freed him before he died, that you freed all of Wonderland and saved all those oysters too."

"You don't get it Hatter."

"Yeah I get it, you're an idiot."

"What?"

"Your Mum deserves to know what happened. We couldn't tell her before because she'd never have believed us but now that's she been here she'll be able to understand."

"But what's going to happen when she finds out about everything? That I've kept all this from her? What happened to Dad? How we actually met? I've lied to her a lot since I left Wonderland and now she'll know, how do I even begin to explain it?" She sat down on one of the logs deflated.

"I'm pretty sure Carol already knew we were lying." Hatter said sitting next to her and pulling her close. She started to pull away but he persisted and she gave with a little smile. "I just don't think she could imagine the truth."

"What'd we do now?" Alice asked leaning her head against his shoulder. "We're god knows where with Jack after you and someone else we don't even know after me."

"Yeah I want hear about that." Hatter interrupted. Alice gave him a quick summery of her would be abduction by the three goons, the Cat rescuing/kidnapping her and bringing her here and then offering her answers if she stayed put while she ran her errand.

"Which was taking me from Jack before he could have me committed." Hatter added to her story. "But why does she care if I'm locked up or not?""She said she didn't." Alice interrupted.

"She said that I care and what I care about matters to her, but why?"

"I don't know but I don't like it." Hatter said standing up. "There's one thing you don't want to be and its anything that interests the Cheshire Cat. We need to figure out how to give her the slip, find our way back to the palace, get Carol and borrow the ring then duck through the Looking Glass and back home. But first, I need some shoes." he finished and started to the tent to see if there was actually any footwear when Alice spoke that one word.

"No."

He turned slowly. "No?"

"Whatever's happening here is going to keep following us, we need to know what's going on and right now the Cheshire Cat's the only one who can give us answers."

"Alice, we need to get as far away from that Cat as possible, remember when I said Charlie was as mad as a box of frogs? Well the Cheshire Cat's an entirely different kettle of onions."

"Hatter, we need some answers. Besides if what you say is true I don't think we can give her the slip."

"Fine, just fine." He said frustrated running his hands through his messy hair. "Alice, just please don't do anything stupid this time around."

"Stupid, like what?" She asked angrily.

"Like waiting until I fall asleep and running off to get captured and taken to the Casino to try and make a deal with the Queen?"

"It wasn't stupid." Alice defended. "It just wasn't as smooth going as I hoped."

"You're kidding, if me and Charlie hadn't come after you you'd have been dead!"

"I was doing all right." She muttered stubbornly. "You were on a crumbling board about to plummet to your death." The woman was impossible!

"I was stalling them, then you showed up so I'd say it worked." She turned her back on him.

"Fine, whatever just don't do anything without me." Hatter said walking up and turning her back to him. "Please Alice, I can't stand the thought of you going off like that again. Do you have any idea how it was to wake up and find only your coat knowing you'd run off on a suicide mission?"

"Probably about how it felt when you tried to rescue me with nothing but a horse and sword against dozens of suits." Alice retorted. "I thought they'd killed you when they took you away."

"Well I'm not going to promise not to risk everything to save you." Hatter said. "Cause look at the messes you get into, if I didn't save you who would?"

"Me." Alice answered. "But the not promising goes both ways." He started to protest but she stopped him. "I won't just go off like that again, that I promise. but I will not promise not to risk everything for you, because I will in a heartbeat."

"Don't Alice, I'm not worth it." He replied and Alice punched his arm and he grinned. "Right, we'll risk everything for each other so let's just watch each others back so it doesn't come to that okay?"

"Deal." Alice replied and kissed him. "Now let's go see if we can find you some shoes."

"And maybe a shirt." Hatter added looking down at his undershirt. "Nah, I like you shirtless." Alice answered leading the way into the tent and Hatter followed grinning. God he was crazy about this impossible woman. She was both stubborn and vulnerable all at once. She pushed every button he had and made him want to scream and he just wanted more. The inside of the tent was a mix of pillows, blankets and soft mats covering the floor in a wide assortment of bright colors. It was spacious and looked comfortable. There was also a plain wooden chest sitting directly across from them."That was not there when I was in here before." Alice stated. "How does she do these things?"

"I've no idea, magic isn't exactly rampant here in Wonderland." He replied stepping forward so he could open the chest. He didn't want Alice to in case of any surprises the Cat might have cooked up for them.

"Really? So the magic mirrors, sucking emotions out of people, and all that other stuff is what then?" Alice asked.

"Science, like logic it all works a bit differently here." Hatter answered opening the lid and peering inside. On top of what appeared to be two neatly stacked piles of clothing was a familiar shape. He reached inside and pulled out his hat, the one he was wearing before he left Wonderland. He turned it this way and that studying it, then flipped it up onto his head. Perfect fit, it was definitely his.

"It that your hat?" Alice asked staring at it.

"Yup." He said looking back in the chest and pulled out two more items. A light blue dress and a pair of raspberry tights. "Apparently she really does like the classics."

"Those are my clothes!" Alice cried snatching them from Hatter's hands. "Mom said the hospital lost them but the Cat must have taken them."

"And all the stuff I left behind." Hatter said pulling out the rest of the stuff, their complete outfits from when they first met including the purple coat he had given Alice to cover her mark.

"Hatter, she stole my clothes from the hospital." Alice said looking him in the eyes. "She's had our clothes since we left Wonderland, shes been planning on us coming back since we left."

"That's a bit creepy."

"Yeah, it is."

"Anyway can I talk you into getting drenched in that dress again?" Hatter asked hoping to distract shot him a look that could have killed a lesser man and he couldn't help but break out into a grin. She threw a boot at him. God he loved her.

The Cheshire Cat watched over Alice and the Hatter, she would be giving Alice answers. She just wasn't sure how much she should tell her, could she tell her enough to get her to do what she needed her to do without hurting her? Or would she skip over the parts that might upset Alice? And why did she even care? She hadn't given a thought to any of the other Alice's and their silly human feelings, they didn't matter in the end with what needed done. She hadn't even a need to care about what would have happened to the Hatter if he had remained separated from Alice. He was not essential to what was happening in Wonderland, he was only important to Alice. For whatever reason she couldn't let Alice hurt like that. It frustrated her no end that she cared. The Cat had been affected by this Alice and she knew that along with fixing what she had allowed to happen to Wonderland she was also going to have to keep Alice from losing the Hatter, which might get difficult. She tried not to dwell on her emotions, tricky, icky little buggers, and instead focused on her charges in the camp. She was delighted when they went into the tent and looked into the chest. The Cat wanted laugh. Inside that chest was each of their clothes from when they had first met, even the hat she had locked in the safe. She had nicked it from the palace before she took Duchess hostage. She quit watching them until after they changed clothes. She'd keep her senses up for trouble but as long as they stayed in the campsite and the woods surrounding them they would be safe. Nobody could find them and no beasts would enter. Technically Alice and the Hatter could stay safe and sound in this little spot until everything was done. That would be the sanest course of action. Too bad that the Cheshire Cat had not even the slightest bit of sanity.

Taking turns they had changed into their old clothes. Hatter going first since he was already mostly undressed and Alice couldn't help but smile when she saw him dressed as he was when she first met him. She neatly stacked the clothes they had been wearing and sat them on top of the chest so she could try and wash them later. She hoped they wouldn't need to change their clothes again but by the amount of supplies and the way the camp was set up she was certain the Cat was planning on them having a long stay here. Alice was planning on staying put, at least until she got answers. She hadn't mentioned anything to Hatter yet but she'd been thinking and she was sure that if they decided to leave that the Cat wouldn't stop them. It was weird, but she just had a feeling about it. She had her back to the chest and was checking to make sure she hadn't forgotten any socks amidst the pillows, then turned back to double check what was stacked on the chest, but the clothes were no longer there.

"What the hell?" Alice said opening the lid and looking inside the empty chest. She had just set the clothes on top.

"Don't worry." The Cat said from behind her and Alice spun around startled. "Both your clothes will be home all freshly laundered and put away for your return to your world. But tell me, do you like my choices for you both?"

"I'm glad you find all this so amusing." Alice said turning back around and having to keep from exclaiming when the chest was gone as well. "I just don't like it when people play games just to make others feel powerless."

"One thing you are not Alice is powerless." The Cat said coming up close behind her. "But playing games is something I need to do, when I get bored things can get a little messy and that is part of the reason you are here now."

"To clean up your mess?" Alice asked turning around to look at the shorter woman who smiled.

"A little, but everything that is happening now extends much farther back then my one mistake."

"What did you do?" Alice asked and the Cat shrugged.

"Nothing I can change now, but you wanted some answers and I am in a mind to give them at the moment. Let's go gather the Hatter and I'll tell you my stories." They went out of the tent and Hatter raised an eyebrow to Alice when he saw her exit the tent with the Cheshire Cat behind her.

"You're back." He addressed her.

"Of course, I made a deal and I honor them when they suit me." She replied walking over to a log bench and sat down to lounge on it.

"And when it doesn't?" He asked but the Cat ignored him and gestured for them to sit down.

"You two may want to take a seat as this is not going to be a short conversation." When they sat on a log bench across from her. "Perfect, now I am going to give you the Cliffsnotes version, all the facts without all the prose that good with you two?"

"Cliffsnotes?" Hatter asked.

"How do you know about Cliffsnotes?" Alice asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because I spent a decent amount of time in your world Alice." The Cat said.

"Thats slightly scary, okay give me the Cliffsnotes."

"Basically what's going in breaks down into a few separate parts, whose after you, why they are, what they want to do to you after they get you, what that would result in, as well as one little bonus problem but we can table that for a while. First there are those who are unhappy with the change of power in Wonderland, because it is largely due to their efforts that the Hearts were able to seize power to begin with."

"Really?" Hatter said skeptical.

"How else would you explain the Hearts, having just suffering a devastating blow thanks to the Alice of Legend was able to conquer the Kingdom of the Knights and as well as the Red Kingdom, hmm?" The Cat asked and Hatter shrugged so the Cat continued. "These people are like a shadow to everything that has happened since the Alice of Legend has left."

"Do they have a name?" Hatter asked impatiently.

"No, they just are there in the background manipulating things. But if you want we can make one up, something all nefarious like. Maybe the Horribly Awful Something or Others?"

"Yeah, I'm not saying that." Hatter said.

"We'll just call them the Really Bad People then, jeez. You're all Mr. CrankyPants." The Cat complained.

"This group, why are they trying to kidnap me?" Alice asked redirecting the conversation.

"This is where it's gets a little funny, so bare with me." The Cat warned. "Since its conception Wonderland has been off kilter. It's both part of its nature and beauty. Off Balance is in itself a kind of balance and the one kind Wonderland was meant to have. The problem comes in that Off Balance is a very difficult balance to maintain. So Wonderland evolved itself into a cycle. Every hundred years a child from your world would pop on through and wander about. The reason for this is, this child was special. She would affect the people and the land in the exact ways Wonderland needed to maintain its delicate Off Balance."

"Let me guess, these children were all Alice's." Hatter added.

"Ding, ding, give the man a prize!" The Cat smiled sitting upright. "Alice's are like rainfall, a natural phenomenon that must occur to maintain ecological balance."

"What?" Alice and Hatter said at the same time. The Cat sighed.

"To keep Wonderland working properly it needs an Alice to come wandering about because you Alice's each have something special, particular to what Wonderland needs at the time."

"Like what?"

"You Alice's affect us. Each Alice has affected Wonderland differently and the reason these Really Bad People are after you Alice is because of the affect you've had on Wonderland and some of the people you've met. They worked really hard after the Alice of Legend left to erase any traces of the affect she had on the world, messing with the Off Balance and shifting the power to only the Hearts. Then just by being here you've gone and changed it all. They don't like you very much for that."

"So they want revenge." Hatter said.

"No, nothing so nice. But to explain what they want I have to go back and tell a story." The Cat explained, Hatter rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath but Alice nodded so the Cat continued. "As you both know the Alice of Legend was here about a hundred and fifty years ago. Most of the story from Alice's world is loosely based on what happened except not any of those she met here were actually a talking animal. Well except myself. The part both the kids story and our own history get wrong is the part the Hatter played in her journey."

"How come I get the feeling I'm not going to like this next bit?" Alice heard Hatter mutter and she asked."What really happened?"

"Well according to some in Wonderland after meeting the Alice of Legend the Hatter was so sensitive to her human emotions, like the current King thinks your Hatter is, that he went mad and betrayed all of Wonderland by causing the events that led up to the Hearts seizing complete power."

"Is that true?" Alice asked and the Cat scoffed.

"No. The Hatter and Alice met at his tea party, he decided to help the girl and take her to the Red King and Queen. They had control of the Looking Glass and could send her home. But one thing led to the other and Alice ended up in the Card Kingdom, was framed for stealing from the Queen of Hearts and sentenced to lose her head. The Hatter didn't like that idea so much and he asked the Red King for help, but the Red King wouldn't risk a war between the kingdoms for one child, so without anyone noticing the Hatter plucked the Stone of Wonderland right of the Red Queen's finger and raced off to rescue Alice. He succeeded and the two of them brought down the whole House of Cards. It was quite a fun thing to watch I'll tell you that much. He got her home but lost the Stone of Wonderland in a scuffle with some suits. The ring ended up in the Queen of Hearts hands and although the Hatter escaped the suits he was caught by the Red Kings knights. The Red Queen was furious that he made a fool of her and lost the Stone of Wonderland. She convinced her husband to find him guilty of betraying Wonderland and she oversaw his punishment."

"Let me guess." Hatter said drawing a finger across his neck.

"Oh no, nothing as pleasant as death. The Red Queen was more then just angry and her temper could easily outdo the Queen of Hearts. She had the Hatter destroyed. Oh she pretended like they were trying to help him, cure him of the madness he supposedly had due to excess human emotions by draining him of them. But the Hatter had no excess emotions, and even if it were true the Red Queen had him drained past just mere emotions. Took every last drip and drop of what makes up a person so that all that was left was an empty vessel. Pain cannot even begin to describe what that man went through before the end."

"Sorry but Oysters have been drained in Wonderland for decades and yeah, it wasn't a very good thing to do but it wasn't all that painful." Hatter scoffed.

"There is a big difference between what they did to the Hatter and the process Robert perfected for the Casino." The Cat explained. "You saw how it worked in the Casino. How is it this Hatter put it, 'They keep them alive and moderately happy.' The best way I can think to describe how it felt when they drained the Hatter is like taking one of those special spoons you use for grapefruit and hollowing out the insides of a person and leaving nothing left but their skin." Alice grimaced, she had never liked those spoons.

"Okay, that was gruesome." Hatter said. "But what does that have to do with why these people want Alice?"

"Because the Really Bad People want to do to Alice what the Red Queen had done to the Hatter."

"What, why?" Alice asked alarmed. These people wanted to drain her? And in some sort of medieval torture-like way?

"They believe by draining you in that very special, horrific way it will reverse the affect you've had on Wonderland and it's people." The Cat answered.

"Will it?" Alice asked unsettled.

"Oh yes, it will. And this time it will be permanent. No more Alice's will ever come to Wonderland but I don't think either one of you care about that."

"You're right about that much." Hatter said standing up and looking down at the Cat. "You knew what they want to do with her but you brought Alice back to Wonderland, why? Why not just let her stay safe on the other side of the Looking Glass?"

The Cat laid flat on her back, crossed one leg over the other and replied. "That was what I would have preferred. For her to stay home all safe and snug but other peoples plans got in the way. Now to be able to keep her safe and from doing something particularly stupid I had to bring her here so that I could collect you for her."

"Do something particularly stupid?" Alice repeated. "Why does everyone assume I'd do something stupid?"

"If you came home and found your Hatter and your mother missing what would you have done, hmm? Wait patiently for forty eight hours, file a missing persons report, then wait around again hoping the police find something? No, you've always been a poor waiter. You would have gone looking and the first place you would go is straight through the Looking Glass. Besides these Really Bad People already made a move, I had to protect you until enough time has passed that the affect becomes permanent and irreversible."

"Then why not just keep her out of Wonderland and let me sort myself out?" Hatter asked angrily. "The Cheshire Cat's never been known as a romantic so what do you care if we're separated for a while?"

"That's a good question, one you should keep asking." The Cat replied grinning. "The important bit right now is this, these Really Bad People want Alice so they can very nastily drain her, killing her and destroying the very soul of Wonderland in the process. If we can keep Alice out of their clutches for a few days the affect she's had on Wonderland will be permanent and the threat they pose will be gone. You can then collect Carol and the three of you can go home and not have to worry about Wonderland. I will even ensure that Jack Heart doesn't attempt to steal the Hatter away again."

"Why should we believe any of this?" Hatter asked.

"Why would I lie?" The Cat answered with a question of her own.

"Why would you tell the truth?"

"Why is it so hard to believe I might actually have Alice's best interests at heart?"

"Because the Cheshire Cat doesn't have a heart."

"Did you ever think that maybe I've changed? That maybe we all have?"

"Somethings can't change, and you're one of them."

"Ouch! I am wounded sir, truly wounded." The Cat said standing up and clutching her chest. "Very well, you want a good reason why I am doing all this. It's selfishness. If Alice here is drained and Wonderland is permanently damaged I will no longer exist. I had a hard enough time just surviving after what they did to the Hatter. Took quite a jolt to get to myself again, that and the fall of the Casino."

"What does the Casino have to do with it?"

"Ever wonder why it was so easy to turn the suits against the Queen right after the Casino was destroyed? Bet you never really thought about that one. It's because draining the emotions out of anybody has a negative impact on Wonderland and it's Off Balance. It stamps out all it's natural awesomeness, like me. It makes all the people slightly duller and easier to control, much like the emotion teas themselves. It's a double whammy."

"This is all just too weird." Alice muttered frustrated.

"Draining people from your world is not the same as the process that these people want to use on you Alice. But it did still add to the damage that had been done to Wonderland. Caterpillar used to worry that your people were polluting this world but the truth is it wasn't you or your emotions, but what the people in the Casino did to them that hurt Wonderland. It like every once of power was zapped straight out of me and I blanked out. Until you popped through to Wonderland I spent years just not existing. It was dreadful. But then you came and I could see again. Mind you I had no physical form and was incapable of doing anything but observe but you were waking everything up and shortly I could gather enough power that I was able to guide you, if only just a little bit."

"What do you mean guide me?"

"I'm hurt, you don't remember our little time in the woods when you left the camp to try and cut a deal with the Queen."

"No, that was a dream."

"No that was me."

"But why Dinah? Why show me that day I realized my Dad was missing?"

"Alice, you haven't figured it out?" She sighed. "Why do you think I care about your feelings? That I am going to all this trouble for you? It's because you Alice had an affect on me, long before you came to Wonderland. When you were just a little girl who fell in love with this sweet little kitty."

"You can't be serious. There is no way you're actually Dinah!" Alice insisted. She remembered snuggling Dinah as she fell asleep, telling her secrets that you only tell something that can't speak.

"You're right. I really can't be serious, too tedious. But I am actually Dinah, you should know as you are the one who named me. By the by, Sorry about the whole faking my death thing. I kind of needed to get back here. Also sorry about the time with the hairball and your book bag. I was just trying to stay in character."

"No, there's no way you used to be my cat."

"Really Alice, denial never was an attractive look on you. But yes, I am Dinah. I left Wonderland after what happened to the Hatter because the damage done to the Off Balance was weakening me. So I decided to spend the next century in your world until the next Alice was supposed to pop by and get everything back on track. But of course being in your world so long I got bored and that is never a good thing."

"What did you do?" Alice asked. She had a horrible feeling about what that might be.

"That's a story for later, I gave you enough answers to understand some of what's at stake. Now are you two willing to accept my help and the three of us work as a team?" the Cat asked and received dead silence. She sighed and shook her head sadly. "Well that's lovely. I guess this means I'll just have to go about this in my own way. No worries though, I do have your best interests at heart." she turned and started to walk away.

"How about you just let us be and figure it out for ourselves?" Hatter asked and the Cheshire Cat looked over her shoulder grinning and Alice swore her brown eyes flashed gold for a moment.

"I am certain you two could manage with a minimal about of personal damage. But it's been too long since I had a chance to play." Then she was gone, just like that. Leaving Alice with lots more questions then before she had gotten answers.

Hatter stared at where the Cheshire Cat had just disappeared, furious. The Cat was playing a game with them. Something dangerous that she started long ago and they had no idea what the rules were. Hatter didn't like being played with, and he especially didn't like anybody trying to play his Alice. Yeah she smart, tough, and more then capable of handling things herself, but he'd be damned if he'd let anyone mess with her. He had a few choice ways he'd like to skin that cat right now.

"Do you think she was being honest?" Alice asked still staring at where she had disappeared and breaking him out of his angry thoughts.

"I don't think the Cheshire Cat's capable of honesty." He replied. "But I think she told us some of what's actually going on, just not exactly what's happening."

"What that supposed to mean?"

"The best way to sell a lie is to tell the truth, just not all of it." Hatter explained.

"Like not telling somebody you're going to try and sell their ring and get your usual cut upfront?" Alice asked pointedly.

"I'm never going to live that one down, am I?" Hatter groaned.

"No, you aren't." Alice said turning towards him and putting her arms around his waist and he pulled her in against him and his eyes shut as he began to relax. Nothing felt as right as just being with Alice.

"Do they have schools in Wonderland?" Alice asked looking up at him, he opened his eyes and looked down at her wondering at the abrupt change of subject.

"Not since the Hearts seized power, but I'd be willing to bet Jack's changing that." Hatter answered.

"I figured as much." Alice said then asked. "But how has anyone learned anything? Nobody had easy access to books? Most of what's survived was hidden in the Great Library, right?"

"Yeah, unless you were one of the refugees who were hidden there you didn't learn much. Even then it was tough. That was part of the reason the Queen of Hearts did all of it. It's much easier to control people who don't question anything."

"How'd you get so smart?" Alice asked. He laughed and she smacked him and corrected herself. "You know what I mean, you're not exactly an idiot all the time, did you grow up in the Great Library?"

"No, don't think I set foot in there until I started smuggling. Besides if I had been a refugee I never would have ended up running a Tea Shoppe."

"But who taught you to read, write?" Alice asked.

"Does it really matter? I mean its kind of basic stuff." Hatter said shrugging. He didn't really ever think about that kind of thing.

"Okay, fine. How did you end up running the Tea Shoppe then?" Alice persisted. Hatter could tell something was bothering her.

"What's with all the questions Alice? I mean why does it matter where I learned things and how I came into the Tea Shoppe?" He asked confused.

"Because you never answer any questions about your past!" She accused.

"I tell you loads of stuff all the time." He countered. He'd just told her a story about how Dormie had fallen asleep in the middle of a very tense negation but somehow when he woke up he realized he had managed to get double his asking price for a bottle of Honesty which at the time was considered yesterday's wonder.

"Yeah, to a point. You never talk about when you were younger, your family, how you ended up where you were when we met." Alice listed off.

"That's because there's nothing to tell." Hatter shrugged. "I don't have a family and I don't know. It's like before I met you I wasn't really all there. Nothing before that matters all that much so why even think about it?" He finished and Alice relaxed a bit so he stepped forward and drew her back into his arms in relief. He hated when this happened, she had all these questions and he tried, he really tried but he just didn't know how to answer them, not in the way she wanted. Then every time he couldn't answer he could feel just a little more distance between them. He didn't want distance, not with Alice. He needed her in a way he had never needed anything before. He turned her face towards him and kissed her. Yes, he needed her, he needed this. He thought as she deepened the kiss and he melted, the whole world faded away. All there was was Alice, the feel of her, the taste of her. Her mouth demanding that he give more and he gladly obliged. Her hands were all over him, pushing his jacket of his shoulders, pulling his shirt from its tuck into his pants, running her hands up underneath it and across his bare skin. He was not a statue during this, he himself had already rid her of her coat and had pulled down the zipper to her dress. His hands running up and down her exposed skin. He was so entranced by touching her and her touching him that he hadn't realized she had been maneuvering them, moving them from the log benches to right in front of the tent flap until she used one of her clever little fighting moves to knock his feet out from under him so that he landed on his back inside of the tent staring up at her and those blinding blue eyes. He hadn't even noticed his hat had fallen off.

"I thought this might be better." She said kicking off her boots while Hatter raised himself up in his elbows.

"Yeah, it might be if you weren't all the way up there." He replied. Alice smiled and got down, straddling him. She then grabbed his tie and pulled him close to nibble his ear. He closed his eyes and just about died at the sensations she gave him. Then she began unknotting the tie she held and whispered to him.

"I know we just got changed but what do say to getting out of those clothes?"

"Oh god yes!" Hatter replied thinking of all the ways he wanted to rip off her clothing right then. God the woman was sexy. Alice smiled and began unbuttoning his shirt and he ran his hands up her legs, covered in raspberry tights. Those would have to come off. He wanted to touch all of those shapely, smooth legs. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and pushed him down flat on his back. He pulled her with him and kissed her. Her mouth, her face. He attacked her neck paying attention to all the little spots he knew drove her crazy and her moans of pleasure urged him on. He held her tighter against him and rolled over. Putting himself on top. He was hatless and shirtless and she was trying to undo his belt while they kissed. She was unzipped but disappointingly still fully clothed. He wanted to remedy that, now. He moved his hands to her shoulders and started to push her dress down. He could feel Alice's lips curl into a smile under his and he couldn't help but grin back. He wanted this, he wanted her.

No! Something said so quietly in the back of his mind he didn't hear it. As it was he was too lost to pay any attention. The dress was going down and he was about the see two very interesting parts of Alice.

No! Something shouted more forcefully and this time his mind registered it, but he didn't stop. The dress was down off her arms exposing the upper half of Alice and her plain white bra just covering her perfectly proportioned bits. Nothing could rip away his attention right now, Alice had managed to take off his belt and was working on his pants. He ravaged her mouth. Every bit of passion going into the kiss. His body pressed tightly into hers so she could feel how much he wanted her. And he wanted her badly. His thoughts raced with what they were about to do. He was going to make love to her, give her every ounce of himself, lose the last little piece of his heart.

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! Something screamed so loud and forcefully inside his head it was like a strike of lightning inside his skull. He leapt back off of Alice obeying the screaming voice, leaving her lying there with her dress halfway down and her face stunned.

"What the hell!" She demanded sitting up and pulling the top half of her dress up to cover her bra. What the hell is right. Hatter thought shaking his head. His need for Alice was so strong but something, somewhere inside had stopped him dead in tracks. This wasn't the first time he had pulled away, but he always thought he was trying to be respectful and give her time so they could build a better relationship or some such rubbish. They had never gotten this far and he had certainly never experienced that before. He'd been with plenty of women and never had an inner voice stopped him. Alice was staring at him, she was clearly angry but he could see something else as well. It was in her eyes and it was something that twisted his heart. It was hurt.

"I ahh, I think maybe we should save that for later. When things are a bit umm, more settled." The words came out of his mouth but they were not what he wanted to say. Pulling away from Alice wasn't what he had wanted to do.

"Well you can settle things here by yourself." Alice said angrily pulling her dress back on then standing up.

"What, wait, where are you going?" Hatter asked still sitting while Alice walked to the tent flap and grabbed her boots.

"I'm taking a walk." She said and walked out. Every fiber of his being wanted to chase after her, grab her and make love to her but all he could do was just sit there asking himself. What the hell is wrong with me?

The Cheshire Cat was not a voyeur, but she kept an eye on Alice and the Hatter. She was just turning her vision off when the Hatter suddenly pulled away. Mmmm. She thought. Very interesting. The Hatter wants nothing more right this moment then Alice, just as Alice wants him. But It somehow was able to stop him, It was a lot stronger then the Cat had realized. Quite interesting indeed. Seems that this whole thing might be a bit more difficult to pull off then the Cat originally thought. But that was okay. It had been a very long time since the Cheshire Cat had had a chance to play and it seemed she was going to have a lot of fun. But first things first. She needed some alone time with Alice.

Frustration was not a good enough word for how Alice felt as she stumped through the woods. She had pulled on her boots and grabbed her coat after she had walked out of the tent. She didn't have any idea where she was going but she just needed to move, to do something. She wasn't going to cry, she wasn't that kind of girl. When her boyfriend clearly rejected her she didn't burst into tears. She got angry. Normally when she was upset like this she'd just go to the gym or her work and beat the crap out of the punching bag or practice dummy (her fellow instructors knew better by now then to spar with her when she was in a mood like this. Not unless they wanted a world of hurt) but she was here, in the middle of a forest in Wonderland with no equipment. All she wanted was something she could punch, preferably something with a hat. As soon as she thought it she noticed a tree about ten feet ahead, and hanging from one of the branches was a red punching bag with a black top hat perched on top. Alice stopped dead in her tracks them quickly looked behind her expecting the Cat to be waiting there. But no one was. She turned around and jumped because leaning against the tree was The Cheshire Cat grinning.

"You looked like you could use this." She said nodding to the bag.

"Yeah, I'm good." Alice said crossing her arms over her chest. She definitely wasn't in the mood to play games with the Cat right now.

"Suit yourself." The Cat said shrugging then grabbed the hat off the top of the bag and stuck on her own head. Which was quite a feet since she wasn't tall enough to reach the top of the bag, but doing it hadn't even looked awkward.

"Why are you here?" Alice asked.

"Because there is more I need to tell you and it won't be easy for you. I had hoped we could just avoid this conversation all together. But it appears things are a bit more complicate then I originally thought."

"Complicated how?"

"In oh so many ways." The Cat grinned. Alice was really coming to despise that grin. "Now Alice, you found out whose after you, why they are, what they want to do to you after they get you, and what that would result in. Now it's time for our little bonus problem."

"What's that?" Alice asked and the Cat quit smiling which made Alice's shiver and said. "You need to learn about the Sleepers."

**Hope this was worth the wait. My main issue with finishing this chapter is that I have this fully developed backstory for the Alice of Legend and the original Hatter that involves the four kingdoms I touched on a bit in the previous chapter. But telling it all in the middle of this story was too much so I thought if anyone is interested once I wrap this one up I could write it out and post a little prequel. Maybe? Anyway, time to start the next chapter! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Next Chapter! **

**So I wrote most of this after having taken some cold meds and drinking a little, okay well alot of wine. So please feel free to point out anything too silly**.

**Of course I own nothing and enjoy:)**

"What's a Sleeper?" Alice asked crossing her Cheshire Cat took the hat off her head and flipped it in the air where it disappeared before she answered.  
"When you saw your father here in Wonderland he didn't recognize you. He had been made into the Carpenter. Drained of all the memories and emotions of Robert Hamilton and adjusted into the Queens fun new toy, developing the form of draining emotions that you saw used in the Casino."  
"You're saying my Dad was a Sleeper?" Alice asked skeptically.  
"Sort of. Robert was a brilliant man, which was the reason they wanted him. Problem is if they drained him up nice and proper like all the rest of the Sleepers he would have lost all of the knowledge he already had that they needed. Instead they gave him a less dramatic version then what was done to the others. Sort of a Light-Sleeper if you will."  
"Who are the others?" Alice wanted know.  
"Actually, you've met most of them already." The Cat said playfully.  
"What are you saying?" Much to Alice's shock the Cat smiled and started singing.

"The girl that came, you know her name,

And likely know her story.

How she took apart, the House of Hearts,

To return our land glory.

But then how come, with it all done,

Our land had grown much weaker?

For that my dear, is why you must hear,

The story of the Sleepers.

For every folk, to which she spoke,

That legend somewhat changed.

But there's those who fear, when change is near,

So all those folk they drained.

They took their hearts, their very thoughts,

Until they were empty creatures

Then filled them full, with made up bull,

And thus began the Sleepers."

The Cat finished singing and Alice was left puzzled by the song. So she asked.  
"What you're saying is the Hatter wasn't the only one drained back then, that they did it to everyone the Alice of Legend met while she was here."  
"You are quite the bright little human, even if you are incredibly stubborn and have no sense of self preservation." The Cat said then chuckled at the glare Alice gave her. "But yes, they were drained by the very same people who are currently after you, with the exception of the Hatter, they were all adjusted. Stuffed full of new identities and either set loose because they saw no value in keeping that particular individual or kept as a tool for the Hearts."  
"Why was the Hatter the exception?"  
"Because the Red Queen had him drained too much, the damage done was at the time too much for them to be able to adjust him. Instead they locked away the empty shell that used to be the Hatter, with no thought and no emotion he'd just sit there."  
"That's terrible."  
"Yes, and quite wasteful." The Cat added. "The Hatter had been quite a resourceful man. One of those rare creatures that could change the course of the battle just by picking a side. Instead he was erased and his legacy was to be known as a traitor to his people or a goofy caricature in a kids story."  
"What about the rest, you said I've met them." Alice asked. "But if these are the people from a hundred and fifty years ago then the only person who could be close to that age is Charlie."  
"The White Knight is not only not a knight, he is also not a Sleeper." The Cat began. "The Sleepers are as the Caterpillar once described, stuck. When you take all sense of self from a person they cease to be, and when you cease to be you cease to age. Time cannot touch what does not exist. Make sense?"  
"No."  
"Good, it wasn't supposed to. But to make it simple for you. Once all those pretty little folk were drained and adjusted they quit aging. They are stuck at the moment they were drained, unable to progress until now."  
"Why now?" Alice wondered.  
"Because of you Alice. Like with Robert you are what wakes up the Sleepers, allows them to remember who they were. All you had to do was show up that first time and then everything just sort of gradually happens naturally."  
"But these people have no idea what was done to them?"  
"Not a clue, well except for a couple of special cases."  
"Who are the special cases?"  
"The Caterpillar was one, his mind was always a bit well, complicated. He might not have had full access to who he once was but he knew what had been done to him so all the Sleepers who weren't being used by the Hearts he gathered up into his Resistance. It was also the reason he knew to send Jack to you, he knew you could wake them all up."  
"Jack's a Sleeper?"  
The Cat snorted. "No, he was already cursed enough with his parents."  
"Who else knew they were a Sleeper?" Alice asked, her mind was reeling. She had no idea what to think about any of this.  
"The March Hare, or as you knew him Mad March. He had been one given to the Hearts as a tool. He went about completely oblivious to what had been done to him, until the day he angered the Queen and lost his head. Dying and being brought back as a cybernetic freak will generally wake you up. Though I don't recommend it."  
"Okay, who else is a Sleeper?"  
"That is the question, isn't it." The Cat said coming up and linking Alice's arm with hers. "Lets quit worrying about that for a bit shall we? How about instead you tell me what has you do upset that you came stomping out alone."  
"Why do you care?" Alice asked as the Cat began leading her back towards the camp.  
"Trust me, I'd rather not." The Cat said looking like she had just tasted something awful. "It's an affection, a concern. What happens to you matters to me and that's a pain in my cheeks if I ever felt one. But unfortunately I do care so why don't you go and unload on me then, make yourself feel better. Remember you used to be able to tell me anything."  
"That was when I thought you were my cat and couldn't talk."  
"So?"  
"So! You pretended to be my cat! Can't you see how crazy that is?"  
"No, not really."  
Alice practically growled in frustration. The Cat laughed.  
"Oh Alice, pretending to be a cat is no different then right now as I am pretending to be a young woman. In reality I have no form. I am not a person, or a creature, or even anything you can fathom. I am a concept. I only take a form to be able to fulfill my role in the grand scheme of things."  
"And what's that?" Alice asked.  
The Cat's only response was a half grin. They walked then in silence. Alice tried to pull her arm free of the Cat's but her grip was unbreakable. As they approached the camp the Cat stopped before they reached the clearing and spoke.  
"I believe I have an idea as to what is troubling you."  
"Yeah, I don't really care." Alive replied curtly as possible.  
"Its your Hatter, right? You feel he is keeping bits of himself from you and it makes you sad, then angry because you don't want to be sad."  
"I'm not talking about this." Alice insisted.  
"You want him to share. You want to know the little things, like how he grew up. You want him to connect, you want him to be intimate. You want answers."  
"Again, I'm not talking about this with you."  
"You want answers, and that is why you never learn anything. Because it isn't about the answers Alice, it's about asking questions."  
"Really?" Alice asked frustrated. "Because I've asked plenty of questions and all I've gotten from the man was evasion and vagueness. I can't even get him to tell me his age!"  
"I think it's time for a game!" The Cat declared suddenly.  
"I am not in a game mood."  
"No worries, all you have to do is listen. Now come along!" She said grabbing Alice's hand and dragging her into the clearing where Hatter sat on one of the logs using a stick to poke at the fire he had started. When he heard them approach he turned. His face showed relief at the sight of Alice, then suspicion at that of the Cat.  
"You're back." He said to the Cat. "If that doesn't just make this a perfect evening."  
"I know." She smiled. "But to our game, I have some questions for you sir and well, I think this might just be fun."  
"Not interested." Hatter replied.  
"Not asking if you were." The Cat shot back. "Now down to it. First question, how old are you?"  
"Really?" Hatter said incredulous. "Some nasty people are after Alice, Jack Heart wants to have me committed and you want to ask me my age? What the hell is wrong with you?"  
"Mmm, defensive." She said then turned to Alice. "He deflects or evades the question, does it every time am I right?" Alice nodded and Hatter glared at her.  
"You're encouraging this?"  
"You think it'd matter if I discouraged it?" Alice asked. She was still mad enough she might actually this.  
"It wouldn't." The Cat interrupted. "Now Alice, the question you need to ask next is why doesn't he answer such a simple question? So you need to change your approach."  
"This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Hatter muttered throwing his hands up.  
The Cat continued. "Next question. When were you born?"  
"I don't see how any of this matters right now, shouldn't we be discussing how to keep Alice safe?"  
"Again, we've hit that defensive evasion." The Cat sighed. "Let's try something else then, how did you get involved with the Resistance?"  
Hatter rolled his eyes but answered. "I've already told Alive all this. Dodo paid Dormie to spy on me, see if there was anyway to take down the most profitable Tea Shoppe around. I found out and used Dormie cut a deal with Dodo. I'd smuggle for them. Get them stuff they needed and help feed the refugees, they leave my business be."  
"Look, a straight answer!" The Cat said clapping excitedly. "No evasion, no defensive wall. Curiouser and curiouser. What does that tell us?"  
"That you're a pain." Hatter retorted.  
"Not quite." The Cat replied and began to pace, tapping her chin with her finger like she was trying to figure something out.  
"Alice." Hatter began. "Listen, I don't want to play games right now I just want to talk to you."  
"Sorry Hatter, but I am actually kind of enjoying this game."Alice said crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess it's just kind of nice to know I am not the only person you won't be honest with."  
"Honesty is not the issue." The Cat piped back in ceasing her pacing. "As he just demonstrated the Hatter is more then willing to give us answers to some questions if not others, but why is that? And why are the questions he doesn't answer the simplest?"  
"Because maybe they don't matter?" Hatter interjected.  
"Oh no, they matter." The Cat replied. "See Alice, this is where you learn something. You want answers right? Well what if there isn't actually an answer to be given only a question to ask?"  
Alice just stared back and the Cat sighed. "Allow me to show you what I mean." She turned back to Hatter. "Final question, and all I ask is that you actually listen and ask it of yourself before you answer okay?"  
"Yeah sure, let's just get it over with." He muttered.  
The Cat smiled."Do you actually know how old you are Hatter?"  
Hatter opened his mouth to reply but stopped. His brow furrowed and he looked at her. Alice felt her insides turn to ice when his brown eyes met hers and they looked confused, like he didn't have an answer.  
"Having trouble with that one huh?" The Cat asked quirking an eye brow. "How about this, do you actually remember anything before you started working for the Heart's? Or even how long ago that was? Hmm? Anything? Anything at all?"  
Hatter was still at a loss for words, something Alice had never seen. Her heart sunk and she turned to the Cat who laughed and added.  
"I take it you understand what's going on don't you Alice?"  
"I don't believe you." Alice said shaking her head. No, it couldn't be. This is insane. The whole idea is just too much!  
"Don't believe what? What the hell is all this about?" Hatter asked finding his voice.  
The Cheshire Cat's reply was simple, she smiled and once again sang.

"They took their hearts, their very thoughts,

Until they were empty creatures

Then filled them full, with made up bull,

And thus began the Sleepers."

Then in the blink of an eye The Cat was gone, leaving Alice to have to explain to Hatter that his entire life was a lie.


	12. Chapter 12

**Next Chapter:) I was actually hoping to have a whole other scene in here but I had to move it to the next chapter otherwise this would be waaaaaaaay too long. **

**Enjoy and I own nothing!**

Hatter was more then a little disturbed by what Alice had just told him. The whole thing was laughable and he told her as much. Alice had kept on him and he kept brushing it off. Really? He wasn't an oyster who had been spritzed and plugged, he knew who he was, just cause he was a bit fuzzy on some details didn't matter much. Finally Alice had had enough and throwing her hands up she yelled at him about how he always questioned everything and never settled for the easy answer, but now? Now it was like he wouldn't even think about it.  
Hatter already had another dismissive remark rolling off his tongue when he realized that she was right. Why wasn't he questioning this? Even if he didn't think it possible why wasn't he dissecting it and punching holes in her logic instead of just waving it away? So he tried. He told her to ask him something, whatever she thought he wouldn't be able to answer and he'd think it through, question it. Alice thought for a moment then asked him what's the furthest back he could remember. Took him a tic but it was the day he woke up in custody at the Casino. He had broken some law or angered the Queen or something and he was given a choice, work for the Hearts running a Tea Shoppe or lose his head. Simple choice really.

"Why were you there? What did you do?" Alice asked when he had finished explaining. He opened his mouth, a response of "did it really matter with the Queen?" already coming when he stopped and thought. He had no idea why he had been imprisoned. He tried to think about it but it was like he kept getting turned around in his own head. He was unable to focus on it, or when he tried to think about before that moment in his life. It was like thinking in circles and getting lost every couple of steps.  
His head spinning a bit he sunk down to the ground and sat. There was nothing there in his head, yeah he remembered stuff, lots of stuff. But it wasn't right. Lots was missing, but he can't even pin down what it is that's gone.

"Hatter?" Alice asked coming down to her knees beside him.

"I hate it when you're right." He said laying back onto the grass and staring up at the sky. After the realization, Hatter felt like a ghost. Like he wasn't really here, like he was slipping away somehow.

"Hatter." Alice said again laying down beside him and wrapping her arms around him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, placing his hand on her arm. It was like Alice anchored him. He was here, he was real and with her here he wouldn't be slipping off anywhere.

"Here's a question then." Hatter asked looking Alice in the eyes. "If I'm not really me then who exactly am I?"

It had been hours since the young woman claiming to be the Cheshire Cat had shown up, taken her daughters boyfriend and left. Carol had no idea what to do with herself, Jack Chase, wait no Jack Heart had assured her she was in no danger, that he'd return her home straight away since they now had that ring back. But Carol had refused. Alice and David were here and she wasn't leaving without them. So here she was, staring out a humongous window at a sprawling garden that she never could have imagined seeing. It was beautiful, but it was also kind of off in some way. Maybe it was because it was such a mess of color and shape, awkward and lovely all at once. It looked like the plants were fighting each other for dominance in their beds. But when Carol looked at the room she had been assigned it was very controlled and simple. White everything, with touches of red here and there (like the vase of red roses) to keep it from being too overwhelming. Maybe it was the contrast between the inside of the controlled palace to its barely contained chaos of the gardens? Or maybe it was because Carol was wondering if those roses in their beds were naturally red or if someone had painted them. Maybe it was because she was in Wonderland, she was sure there was a lot that was going to seem off before all this was over.  
A quiet knock on the door barely registered over Carol's thoughts. It opened to reveal a man dressed in the same black robes and weird hat as the Ten of Clubs.

"Excuse me, but his majesty has requested your presence and has sent me for you."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Carol asked.

"Nine of Clubs, at your service." He said bowing slightly. Carol wasn't sure if she was supposed to bow back or curtsy or whatever so she just crossed her arms and asked.

"Your name is Nine of Clubs?"

"People call me Number Nine."

"But is that your real name or just your title?"

"It's both now mam."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The Former Queen of Hearts didn't like the intimacy of using names for her suits so she took them away."

"Took them away?" Carol asked confused. "How can you take away someone's name?"

"Simple, they either agree to give it up or they give up their head." Number Nine answered flatly.

"Well she's not the Queen anymore right?" Carol asked. "Why don't you use your real name now?"

"Because I am a different man now then I was when I came into the Queens service. Number Nine suits me."

"I can't say I understand it, but I'm Carol. It's nice to meet you Number Nine." Carol offered her hand to shake and he just stared at it a moment before looking back at her face and asking.  
"If you are ready, the King is waiting."

Carol sighed and dropped her hand and gestured for him to lead the way. But before they could move the door opened to reveal the tall blonde the Cheshire Cat had held hostage, Duchess. She looked at the Nine of Clubs and it was almost like she was judging him and finding him lacking.

"What exactly are you doing Number Nine?" She asked him cooly, her voice and demeanor giving no indications that she had been held at gun point earlier that day.

"I was just preparing to escort our guest to the Counsel Room" He answered, his gaze directed downward.

"Jack asked that I bring Ms. Hamilton. You can leave." She said stepping into the room without giving another glance to Number Nine. He bowed once slightly at her back, then again to Carol before he hurried from the room.

"Are you ready or do you need time to..." Duchess gestured vaguely at Carol's person. "Freshen up?"

"Sorry you'll have to make do with me as is." Carol said smiling sweetly, she out grew mean girls long before the movie. "As you found out earlier, being held at gunpoint you don't have time to grab your toiletries."

Duchess quirked a little half smile. "Very well then." She said stepping out the door like she knew Carol would follow her. She sighed and went. Power plays like this were pointless, but some women felt obligated.  
They strode down the corridor. The only noise the women made were two pair of heels clicking on the marble as they went. Carol wasn't sure what she was being summoned for was, but just in case before they got there she had a question she needed to ask.

"Has anyone heard anything about Alice and David?"

"Alice and who?" Duchess asked slowing.

"David, sorry I guess you call him Hatter here." Carol said.

"No, I'm afraid not." She answered.

"What about the Cheshire Cat? Does anyone know anything about her?"

"Again no." Duchess replied then sighed. "But I wouldn't worry overmuch, your Alice is more then capable of handling herself."

"You've met Alice?"

"A couple of times, yes." Duchess said.

"Alice said that one of the reasons things didn't work out with Jack was because he was engaged. I take it you were the woman he was engaged to."

"Correct." Duchess said cooly. "Not that that stopped him from proposing to her, twice."

"You don't much like my daughter."

"I would prefer if she stayed back in your world yes." Duchess said coming to a stop. "But I have no actual ill feelings towards her I just don't much like having the see the woman my fiancé prefers to myself."

"I can understand." Carol said softly. "My husband disappeared when Alice was young. I don't actually know where he went or why but I am pretty sure he's not be alone. I can just be glad I don't have to witness it."

Duchess looked at her strangely. "You don't know what happened to your husband?"

"No, I don't. But Alice finally quit looking for him so she's okay and that's all I really care about." Carol said shrugging. Of course she cared about whatever Robert had done with himself. But she can't help the fact that the man she had loved, the father of her child had abandoned them.

"We should go." Duchess said. "We wouldn't want to be late."  
They continued on then and Carol couldn't help but feel that in their brief conversation this mean girl had softened a bit.

Jack saw when Duchess and Carol entered the Counsel Room. Duchess excused herself from their guest and walked over to her fiancé.

"Duchess, you look magnificent as always." Jack said upon her reaching him.

"Thank you Jack, but I need a moment of your time." Duchess said grabbing his arm and discreetly moving him away from prying ears. Jack was slightly curious.

"What has you so concerned Darling?" He asked. Duchess gave a quick glance to Carol then turned back to Jack.

"I am concerned about Alice's mother." She explained.

"Really? What has you worried about Carol?" Jack asked seemingly unconcerned but getting more intrigued by his fiancés behavior every moment.

"I am worried because the woman does not know what happened to her husband." Duchess whispered. Jack looked at Duchess.

"Forgive me Darling, but I seem to be having a problem grasping what you are concerned about."

Duchess sighed and began again.

"Carol thinks that her husband just ran out on them. That he is still somewhere in her world being a louse."

"And this worries you?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Duchess said. Jack was surprised by the actual emotion on her face. "The woman has been kidnapped, is in a strange place, and is worried about her little family. The last thing she needs right now is to learn her husband is dead. That would be too cruel."

Jack quirked an eyebrow as he stared at his fiancé then after a moment said.

"Darling, that is very kind and caring of you. I must say I never thought you capable."

Duchess stared at him obviously hurt and said.

"I have a heart Jack, is it really that hard for you to believe?"

"No." Jack replied with a slight smile. "It's just nice to actually see you use it." He walked away then leaving Duchess staring at him.

When Duchess left her to speak with Jack it gave Carol a moment to soak in the surroundings. The room itself was something else. It had the white marble floors from the rest of the palace, but the walls were interesting. They rounded out so that there was not a single corner in the room and were painted a rather sultry dark red. They would have been too much if the ceiling hadn't been white and one of those vaulted types. It gave the illusion of more space. Not that there was much in the room to clutter it up. It was set up like a conference room. A long glass, oval table stood in the middle with tall backed white leather chairs, one at the head then one on each side that the Ten of Clubs had just finished arranging. Jack took his seat at the head of the table, Number Ten pulled out a chair for each woman, Duchess at Jack's right hand and Carol at his left. Number Ten then took his place standing ready behind Jack's chair, should they need anything. Once they were settled Jack addressed her.

"To begin Carol, I believe you deserve full disclosure. But despite our meeting in your world I am still a stranger to you and much of what I have to tell you requires you to trust me to fully believe. I am going to omit some things until such time as we can reunite you with Alice so that she may explain them to you, it that agreeable?"

"It depends." Carol said staring the King in the eyes. "Will my not knowing put Alice and David in more danger?"

"The safe recovery of our champions is one of our top priorities at the moment." Jack answered.

"Champions?" Carol asked.

"Your daughter and her boyfriend are heroes in Wonderland." Duchess explained. "Jack's mother, The former Queen of Hearts was a tyrant. She was destroying this world and our people, as well as kidnapping and using the oysters from your world to continue her industry which she used to control our people. Alice, with Hatter's help destroyed the Casino, over threw the Queen and freed the oysters. She changed everything."

"How long exactly was my daughter here?" Carol asked bewildered.

"Three days." Duchess replied.

"Three days?" Carol echoed in disbelief.

"Yes, she was a very busy little girl."

"When exactly did this happen?" She asked.

"Right after we first met." Jack said.

"But she was only gone for an hour!"

"Time moves differently here." Jack explained.

"You know what, I don't even care about that right now." Carol said waving her confusion aside. "What I really want to know is if both Alice and David really are considered heroes here then why did you kidnap David? He and Alice are happy together and you are trying to separate them, why?"

"Because I am trying to protect them both." Jack replied. "My mother controlled our people by taking those from your world, oysters and draining them of all their good emotions. These emotions were processed and turned into teas. These teas were highly addictive and were what my mother used to control the masses. But before we developed that process people from your world were still used for their emotions. Certain people though were sensitive to your oyster emotions then others and pretty soon suffered a complete breakdown."

"Yes, that's what you told David before the Cheshire Cat showed up." Carol interrupted. "Why do you think David would suffer a breakdown?" before Jack could answer the door to the room swung open and standing there was the oddest looking man Carol had seen so far.

"Caterpillar." Jack said standing up, caught by surprise by this man. "You're alive."

"As much so as any of us are, yes." He said walking into the room and the guards shutting the door behind him. "May I join you?"

"Of course." Jack said then turned to the Ten of Clubs. "Number Ten, if you would." The Ten of Clubs then walked to the wall and Carol was surprised to realize that there were cleverly disguised doors built into the walls so that unless you knew they were there you would not notice them. Number Ten opened up one of these doors, stepped into the room and came back a moment later with another chair. He placed it at the end of the table opposite Jack and Caterpillar sat down. Number Ten then took his place again behind Jack, who had sat back down.

"So this is the infamous Caterpillar." Duchess said looking over the new arrival. "I must say I expected you to be a little taller."

"I'm sorry but who is this man?" Carol asked confused.

"Carol, allow me to introduce Caterpillar." Jack said. "He was the leader of the Resistance against my mother. Caterpillar this is Carol Hamilton, Alice's mother."

"I understand she was brought here when you had Dodo fetch the smuggler back through the Looking Glass." Caterpillar stated, letting them all know he was up to date.  
"I thought that you were aware of how crucial it was that he be separated from Alice."

"Yes I did, unfortunately it seems someone else has taken an interest in the two of them." Jack replied.

"You mean the Cheshire Cat."

"Yes, you are aware of her involvement then."

"I am."

"What do you know of her?"

"More then most but not nearly enough." Caterpillar replied. "But first we need to discuss the smuggler. Do you know why I instructed you to separate him from Alice?"

"Because he is sensitive to oyster emotions and could go mad from the continued exposure."

"That is a half truth. It is because of who he is." Caterpillar began to explain but a new voice interrupted.

"Oh have you ever got it wrong my squirmy, wormy little friend." The Cheshire Cat leaned against the closed door. "The reason you want to separate the Hatter from my Alice isn't because of who he is but who he was, which is of course a entirely different kettle of onions wouldn't you say?"

At the sight of her everyone came to their feet, except for Caterpillar who sat calmly staring forward, his back to her.

"I would say it is all a matter of wording, such as your use of 'the' and 'my' when speaking of Hatter and Alice. If what you said was true he would not be 'the' Hatter but Hatter. As for Alice, I don't believe you have any claim to call her yours, am I correct?"

"You are, you are. Alice is no more mine then you are a fashion icon. What can I say though, I am a bit possessive of the girl."

"Enough." Carol interrupted. "My daughter and David? Where are they? What have you done with them?"

"Carol dearest." The Cat practically purred coming forward. "It looks like they are treating you well, is that true?"

"Answer my question." Carol stepped towards the Cat. She didn't care how big and bad this girl was, she had her daughter.

"But answers are so misleading. I can tell you one thing that is technically true while hiding the truth of what you wanted to know." The Cat replied while walking around Carol. "You have to ask questions if you ever want to learn anything."

"I want Alice and David back and I want all of us to go back home to my world." Carol said turning around to look the Cat in the eyes.

"I know exactly what you want my dear, and I am quite grateful you do." The Cat said smiling. "It makes everything so much easier for me."

"What do you mean?" Carol asked confused.

"The Cheshire Cat draws its power from people." Caterpillar said from his seat. "When you want something, whatever it may be, the Cheshire Cat can draw power from that want as long as it is to get you get what you want. The more you want something the more powerful the Cheshire Cat becomes."

"You are saying." Jack cut in. "That she can only use her power to do as we want?"

The Cat laughed. "Oh how cute, you think you have found a lovely little loophole to tame the wild kitty. Sorry to burst your bubble sweetie but it doesn't work that way." She walked over to Jack and though he towered over her in height she seemed so much more fearsome then the King. "See I have to give you what you want, but not exactly how you want it." Her smile was deadly. "If I were you Jackie Boy I'd be careful what I wanted for awhile."

To Jack's credit he didn't even flinch, he just stared cooly back at her until she turned away and sat herself on the edge of the glass table.

"Why are you here?" Jack asked. "I do not assume you came for small talk."

"Oh look, he finally got something right!" The Cat declared swinging her legs up onto the table. "I am here because I need to have a few words with my squirmy, wormy friend." She stood up and walked the length of the table until she was in front of Caterpillar, where she sat down crossed legged, looked the man in the eye, and spoke. "I am rather cross with you at the moment."

Caterpillar stared calmly back at her so the Cat continued.

"See I didn't use the little bit of power I could scrape together during that century and a half communicating with you just so you could go around undermining my work."

"The man needs to know who he is."

"He knows who he is, he is who he is. Not who he was, because who he was is not who he needs to be." The Cat explained. Caterpillar sadly shook his head and replied.

"But he is who he was, who he is is not who he was and who he was is who needs to be."

"Not so!" The Cat cried leaping to her feet. "Unlike you and your other Sleepers, when the Off Balance is restored he will not just remember who he was and keep who he is. The damage they did was too severe, he can only be one or the other."

"Then he should be who he was."

"But who he was is gone." The Cat said softly. "They hollowed him out and all that is left is the echo. That is not a him we want to see."

"That is not a choice we get to make." Caterpillar replied.

"Why did you get involved then?"

"Because he didn't understand what he was doing."

"Would you either of you like to explain what this is about?" Jack asked sounding as if he were disinterested but Carol knew he was just as curious and confused as she was.

"It is about the dirty little secret of Wonderland." The Cat answered standing up and coming back down the table towards Jack. "I know, I know what could be worse then the culture of instant gratification? Well I won't go into all the pretty little details as it'll make me all boring and Caterpillar is so much better at that. The reason squirmy wormy here wanted you to keep the Hatter away from Alice is because he is a very special person, like your good pal there." She jerked a thumb back at Caterpillar. "And the affect she has on him won't make him go mad, in fact it'll keep him just as he is. Well as long as they are kept together that is. Distance from her is not good for his condition."

"I fear I have no idea what you are talking about." Jack said looking at the Cat. "Would you care to explain?"

"Umm, yeah I am not so big on the whole explanation business." She replied. "I prefer vagueness, taunting, using my cruel sense of humor to trick you lot into doing exactly what I need, that sort of thing."

"Then do you have any other business here?" Jack asked cooly. "Beside being cross with Caterpillar that is."

"Well I am a bit cross with you as well Jackie Boy, but I am letting it slide as you are young and I know in your heart of Hearts you want to restore Wonderland as I do. You just don't quite understand what we are restoring it to."

"Then may I suggest you leave."

"Oh look at the king, all brave and such." The Cat slightly mocked. "I'm of a mind to stay and cause all sorts of mischief and mayhem just because you thought that might be a good idea, but fortunately for you and your palace I need to get back to my charges."

"Why is it that you have to be there?" Caterpillar asked.

"Well I let them discover that the Hatter is a Sleeper." The Cat said. "Now that they've had time to process it all I am going back to help them figure out what they want to do next. See I believe the man has a right to make his own decisions."

"You were never one on letting people follow their own path." Caterpillar said and the Cheshire Cat seemed almost sad when she replied.

"Thats because I was never given a choice squirmy wormy." She walked to the door, put her hand on the knob and turned around smiling. "Now I expect you lot to leave matters be. Quite meddling when it comes to the Hatter and leave what's happening with Wonderland to him and Alice, with my guidance they will be more then capable of handling things."

"I want to know where they are, if they are okay!" Carol said coming forward.

"Don't fret dearest." The Cat said kindly. "I'll take the best care of them." She opened the door and walked out, shutting it behind her. Carol knew better then to open the door as the Cheshire Cat was already gone. Carol looked at the other people in the room and asked.

"What the hell was that about?"

**I had no plans to add anymore of Carol, Jack and all them and again I didn't want to bring Caterpillar back from his mushroom cloud of death but I got stuck for a moment and boom, whole huge bit right there that helped me explain how the Cheshire Cat works, plus a little vague word play between the Cat and the Caterpillar which was fun yet awkward to write, I just hope it worked!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Next Chapter! I hope you enjoy:) I own nothing.**

"If I'm not really me then who exactly am I?"

It had been hours since he had asked that question. The sun had set and they were sitting at the fire eating (The Cat had left them with a decent store of food) Alice had explained most of her conversation with the Cheshire Cat again and this time Hatter questioned her.  
"Let's see if I got this straight. Being a Sleeper and around you should wake me up right? I should start remembering who I was before all the adjusting and such."  
"That's what I got from it." She replied.  
"Then how come nothings changed for me? I've been with you since we met and if anything I just feel more well, me."  
"Maybe it has to do with you coming through the Looking Glass with me? Maybe I can't affect you in our world?" Hatter didn't comment but he like her calling it "our world."  
"The Cat did seem put out that Jack had me brought back. She went to a lot of trouble to get me through to you." He thought out loud. "But there's something else here. She has a reason for everything she does and I want to know what."  
"I think it has to do with who you were." Alice said. "And I think you were the Hatter."  
"I thought you said he wasn't a Sleeper?"  
"I asked the Cheshire Cat if he was a Sleeper and she said he was too damaged 'at the time.' Why would she say that? Why not just say no?"  
"Because she likes the sound of her own voice?" He asked and Alice cracked a smile.  
"That too, but I think it's because she didn't want it to be obvious."  
"Not that it matters much though. We'll find out soon enough when all sorts of memories start coming back. Then we'll see who I really am."  
"Until it does." Alice said scooting closer. "We can find a way to pass the time." Then she kissed him, slowly and softly. His whole body melted and his mind filled with that nice happy buzzing as all his senses overloaded. He gently guided her back, laying her down so that he was on top of her and deepened the kiss.  
"Besides I know exactly who you are." She said taking a breath between kisses.  
"Oh yeah?" He asked pulling back slightly.  
"You're Hatter, you know why they call you that?"  
"Cause I wear a hat?" He teased and she laughed at the memory.  
"Because its who you are and nothing that happened in the past can change who you are now. Besides, I like you." She gave him another peck and went to move but he wouldn't let her.  
"Oh you like me?" He teased.  
"Yeah, a lot." She replied.  
"Well I know a thing or two about liking people."  
"Really?" Alice laughed. "Want to show me?"  
"So much." He replied and kissed her passionately. She returned his passion with just as much enthusiasm.  
That's when he heard it, the voice screaming inside his own mind No! Like before. He tried to ignore it, after all it was just one little word. But the more he tried to focus on Alice, oh god how great it would be to focus on just Alice right now, the more insistent the voice became, louder, slightly painful even. So he pulled back turning his ahead away he said. "We should save that for later."  
"Wh-what?" Alice asked. Hatter moved off of her, it was the worst feeling in the world to him separating himself from her, even by those few inches.  
"It's late and you need to rest." He said looking at the fire, still avoiding looking at her face. "I'll stay up a bit keep an eye on things. You should go get some sleep."  
Silence. Oh hell.  
"Fine." Alice said after a few more moments. The tone she used killed him. The last time he had heard her use that tone was back at Charlie's camp when they had argued around the campfire. She was hurt then and she was hurt now. Both times cause of him.  
She got up and walked to the tent, Hatter still couldn't look at her am she said nothing. When he heard the flap to the tent shut he squeezed his eyes shut and taking his hat off as he laid back with his head against one of the logs. Maybe there was something wrong with him. Maybe he was addicted to Alice. The only time he felt right since he got dragged back was when she was around. Perhaps the voice screaming No! In his head had been his good sense. Maybe-  
"She's right you know." The Cat said sitting on the log next to where he had laid his head. He shot upright and turned around, flipping his hat onto his head in reflex. The Cat gave a half smirk and continued. "You once were the Hatter from the Alice of Legend's story. Tragic ending and all."  
Hatter glared down at the Cheshire Cat. "If that's true, then why did you imply to Alice that he wasn't a Sleeper?"  
"Partially because I enjoy being infuriating." She replied. "But the truth is a bit more complicated. See sweetie, you have a choice to make and in a very rare moment I am going to be completely straight with you."  
"Why's that?"  
"Because I owe you."  
"How so?"  
"That's a bit more straight then we need to get into. Right now you need to know about something more pressing."  
"Fine, what?" He asked and she stood and paced as she talked.  
"Some Sleepers will never remember who they were because they are attached, they have a strong emotional connection that makes them more real and gives less room for their former self to come back. Like Dodo for instance is so in love with himself that he'll never remember who he was. Not that it matters much as he was just as insufferable then as he is now. But you, you have an attachment to Alice, which because she is an Alice and also has an attachment to you makes things a bit different."  
"Different how?"  
"That choice? You can either be who you are now or allow the person you used to be to reclaim you."  
"You mean remember who I was?"  
"Not really. You can remember who you were but you will forget who you are."  
"Wait, what?"  
"You have the choice. As long as you stay physically close to Alice until her affect on Wonderland is permanent you will remain the man you are now. But should you separate from her the attachment will not be strong enough to keep your former self from reemerging which will force the you you are now to disappear."  
"Hold on tic. You're saying that by being around Alice that I can just be who I am with no hidden self popping up, but if I was to go off on my own that I'd forget who I am and suddenly become the other Hatter?"  
"Yup, not a hard choice from your perspective."  
"But what happens to the other Hatter if I stay me?"  
"The last echo of him inside of you dies."  
Hatter was silent, thinking then asked. "Is he who I keep hearing then?"  
"You mean that annoying little shout every time you start to become intimate with Alice? Yes, that is the other Hatter, or the echo of what's left of him anyway."  
"But why?"  
"Because he wants you away from Alice, not closer. He wants to live." Hatter was silent for a bit.  
"It's not right though is it?" Hatter finally asked. "He has to die so I get to live." The Cat patted him softly on the cheek.  
"Everything that was good about him died a long time ago. But you dearest, you've only just begun."  
"Why do you care?"  
"Because you Hatter, you're something special."  
"How come special doesn't sound so good coming from you?"  
The Cat laughed. "I prefer this you, you're quite clever for a person, always questioning."  
"Are you going to tell me?"  
"What?"  
"What kind of special I supposed to be?"  
"See that's the kicker, I am not even sure. You dearest are an anomaly." She said tweaking his nose. Hatter remained silent so she continued.  
"There are so many things about you that defy even Wonderland's logic. As a Sleeper working for the Hearts you were supposed to be completely loyal, yet you were helping the Resistance. It should not have been possible. And let us not forget about the grass!"  
"What grass?"  
"The grass and garden in your Tea Shoppe. It is an enigma."  
"It's nature, it grows, what's so enigmatic about that?"  
"Because nothing in Wonderland's nature can flourish around the draining of emotions or the use of teas, it's like poison. Yet your Tea Shoppe, one of the most profitable in all Wonderland was bursting with nature. Especially your office. There is something about you Hatter, something that makes you special, something that Wonderland itself recognizes even if I can't."  
"I'm special because flowers like me?" Hatter asked. "I think we've gone past unbelievable straight to crazy." The Cheshire Cat laughed lightly and shook her head.  
"You don't have to believe me dearest, it's not important yet and by the time it is we'll both understand. Because what's happening now, well it's about Alice not you. When its your turn it is going to be much more fun." She stood up and began walking away.  
"What the hell does that mean?" He asked after her but she was gone.  
He really didn't like her much at all. But if she had just told him the truth he needed to think some things over.

...

Strike two! Stupid people, they obviously cared for each other, she wouldn't be going to so much trouble to interfere and keep them together if they didn't. So why don't they listen to their urges and consummate? She gave them privacy, wasn't this a romantic, moonlit setting. Did she need to summon some damn woodland creatures to break out in a chorus of "Kiss the Girl?" God, Alice had loved that song as a girl. She used to sing it to Dinah time and time again. And she was getting distracted, stupid emotions and memories getting in the way. It was so much easier when she was disinterested and a male.  
Okay, how do I get them to consummate?  
Let's see, emotional connection and passion for each other? Check.  
Seclusion? Check.  
Pretty romantic setting? Check.  
Sure they were in a tense situation and the Hatter was having an identity crisis but that shouldn't matter, the Hatter would always chose Alice. So what was she forgetting? Something to help get past the roadblock in his head? There must be something else to this people courting thing she was missing.  
Thinking back to her time with the humans, she replayed countless moments in her mind, then she remembered something that made her smile. She was laying in Carol's lap as she read one of her paperback novels when Robert set down his paper to tease her. "You know I never understood how such an intelligent woman like my wife could read such trivial nonsense as romance novels."  
Carol smiled, and pet Dinah while she defended herself. "Romance is one of the best selling genres there is Robert, so watch out, I am not alone."  
"But they are all the same. Boy meets girl, attraction, conflict, heaving bosoms and throbbing members then Happily ever after."  
"You forgot the best part, 'We better get you out of those wet clothes'."  
"And why is that the best part?"  
"Because it always leads to the sexy stuff."

And that memory gave the Cat a very naughty idea...

...

The news his card inside the palace had given him was unsettling. Not only had his people failed to get the girl and bring her back through the Looking Glass, but the Cheshire Cat was back and had the girl instead. Meaning that she would be almost impossible to find let alone capture. It was infuriating is what it was. Over a hundred and fifty years he's worked to keep Wonderland as it was and that little oyster comes along and messes it all up in three days. Well he'd get it sorted out. It's what he does, takes care of the business with his pretty puppets doing as he needed. Sure his puppets might have changed but once he was done with the girl he could take care of the rest. Without an Alice in Wonderland it will all be right again. He just needed to figure a way around the Cheshire Cat.  
It wouldn't be easy, even without the Cheshire Cat the girl had been able to escape the suits and Casino multiple times. Sure she was captured more then once but mostly because she was trying to save someone else, people she cared about.  
Then he realized it, something else his card said. She wasn't the only one who came through the Looking Glass. He had options.

...

Carol was once again standing at the window staring at the garden. She had not slept at all and had watched the sun rise just an hour before. Breakfast had been sent to her (how they had known she was awake she had no idea) but she hadn't touched it.  
A knock on the door had her turn around. "Come in." She said and the Ten of Clubs stepped inside.  
"Good morning Mam." He said brightly. "I heard you were up and thought I would check to see if I could be of any help."  
"Has there been any word on Alice and David?" She asked.  
"None yet, but the King and Caterpillar have been in conference all night, and the three men Number Nine brought back from the Looking Glass are awake and ready to be interrogated so I am certain they will have some answers shortly." He said equally chipper. "In the meantime perhaps I can offer you a distraction, maybe a tour of the gardens?"  
Carol glanced back out the window and smiled slightly. The gardens seemed weird from here but Carol did want to see them.  
"Sounds lovely." And she followed the Ten of Clubs having no idea what was in store for her.

...

Alice woke up alone in the tent. She had gone to sleep frustrated, angry and hurt. She wanted to be understanding, she wanted to be okay with it. But it was getting hard.  
She left the tent and didn't immediately see Hatter and her heart stopped for a moment until she realized that he was still laying over by where they had had dinner, sound asleep and mostly covered by the blanket they had eaten on. It was still early and they weren't going anywhere so she let him sleep. She needed some time to get her thoughts straight anyway. She left the campsite and headed over to where the little stream she found yesterday to clean up. When she was done and heading back she stopped. There was no way it should take her this long to get back. Something was off.  
"You got yourself turned around dearest." The Cat said behind her. Alice spun around.  
"I am getting really sick of that you know."  
"Sorry, bad habit to break." She grinned. "But we need to hurry you along back to the camp, this is a little further away then I like you being."  
"I thought you said that we were safe here?" Alice asked.  
"Oh you should be, but I think you need to stay close to your Hatter."  
"Why do you think that."  
"Because I'm clever." She replied laughing then suddenly stopped grabbing Alice's arm.  
"Did you hear that?"  
"Hear what?" Alice asked and the Cat shushed her. Then Alice heard it. It was like a soft growl and a pitiful whine mixed together, softly combined and barely audible being carried in the breeze.  
"What is that?" She whispered. The sound was unsettling but what was worse was the look on the Cheshire Cat's face, it was fearful. "What is that?" Alice repeated. The breeze was getting stronger, the sound louder as it seemed to multiply.  
"No, it can't be." The Cat said looking all around them fearfully. "They shouldn't be awake, not yet."  
"What is it?" Alice asked again. The Cat moved her hand from Alice's arm and grabbed her hand.  
"It's time to run." the breeze was a full blown wind and the sound was piercing.  
"Run!" The Cat yelled and pulled Alice with her as something chased them, something that scared even the Cheshire Cat.

**Well I hope you enjoyed this bit, I thought it was time for a glimpse into our Big Bad's head, if only to make him more tangible. I love feedback even if it isn't glowing as I just want to get better (I also plan on going back over everything later to fix spelling, grammar, and stupid mistakes like that later) I also like to hear if you have any guesses where the story is heading and such so I can see if what I want to be obvious is working or if I am being too transparent. Thanks:)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Yes I already updated a couple of hours ago but I finished this bit in that time and being slightly suspicious and the last chapter being number 13 I decided to post it, even if it is a little shortish. **

**Enjoy and I own nothing:)**

The sound was everywhere, they couldn't outrun it. The Cheshire Cat pulled Alice through the trees going this way then that, telling her not to look behind them and to just keep running. Something was chasing them, Something bad. Then Alice tripped and fell and in that second it was like a set of claws appeared in front of her, a white flash coming straight towards her face and she screamed. Then the Cat was between her and the claws, taking the slash on her right arm just below her shoulder. She cried out in pain but ducked the next strike.

"Move!" She yelled ducking again. Alice got to her feet and they were running again.  
"What was that?" Alice yelled over the the wind and noise. The Cat's jacket was torn where the claws had cut her and blood was flowing down.  
"Creatures of Wonderland so frightening that they barely exist." The Cat explained. Alice barely had breath but the Cat was injured, running full tilt, while pulling Alice and talking without a hitch. "They have been huddled into non existence, almost like hibernation since the Off Balance was damaged. You being here must've woken them up."  
"Then shouldn't they like me if I brought them back?" Alice asked.  
"If you woke up a sleeping bear would you think it'd want to cuddle?"  
"Good point." Then a thought hit her and she almost stopped but for the Cat pulling her forward.  
"Don't slow down!" The Cat cried. "They are right behind us!"  
"Hatter!" Alice said. "He's still at the camp, we need to get to him before they do!"  
"He'll be fine." The Cat assured. "You're the prey not him."  
"What does that mean?"  
"They disoriented you in the woods so you couldn't find the way back to camp." She explained. "They're after you."  
"Why?"  
"Because you're Alice, everyone and everything is always after you!"  
"But Hatter!"  
"Once we get you safe I'll double back and get the Hatter. Otherwise we'll just lead them to him. I promise you Alice, I'll keep you both safe."  
"Okay." Alice said and picked up speed. She could see flashes of eyes, teeth, and claws in the edges of her vision. It was like being chased by your worst nightmare but not being able to wake up.  
"Look up ahead!" The Cat shouted and Alice could see it, the trees were thinning out up ahead and more light was shining through. "That way, hurry!" She tugged her along. They broke through the tree line and where Alice expected to see a clearing she had maybe ten feet from the edge of a cliff. If the Cheshire Cat hasn't stopped her she might have gone running straight off.  
"Oh God!" Alice cried backing up but the Cat stopped her.  
"No, not back towards the trees!" She said.  
"It's a dead end!" Alice said. She would not look over the edge, she would not look over the edge, she would not look over the edge.  
"Okay, okay, let's see we only have moments before they're on us." The Cat said pacing.  
"Shouldn't we be grabbing sticks or something for a weapon?" Alice asked breathing hard.  
"No, these creatures aren't like a normal beast. You can only harm them with a vorpal blade which we do not have." The Cat looked over the edge and the wind started blowing from the trees. "All right I have a plan." She declared and motioned for Alice to come closer. She did but stayed away from the edge. Then told her to give her her coat. Alice took it off and the Cat set it carefully beside them on the ground then took Alice's hands in hers as the Cat's back was to the edge of the cliff.  
"There's a river down there. If we can you to the river then you should be safe."  
"Okay." Alice said confused. "But how do we get there, it's a cliff."  
"This Alice, is the part where you don't like me very much." The Cat said smiling.  
"What do you mean?" Alice asked her heart sinking as the Cat tightened her grip and realization struck. "No!" Alice shouted.  
"Yes!" The Cat cried smiling and spun Alice around and threw her off the cliff.  
Alice screamed the whole way down.

...

Hatter was asleep when he first heard the shouting. He bolted up right. "Alice?" He called but got no answer. He went over to the tent but she wasn't inside. Then he heard it again, women shouting somewhere in the trees. "Alice?" He called again stepping into the wood. Someone screamed and he knew it was her. "Alice! He yelled and ran towards the voices. There was still shouting, yelling. And he was heading right for it.

...

The Cheshire Cat stared down the cliff after Alice. She couldn't see her with this forms eyes but she knew she was safe. Excellent. She let the wind and noises die down, then looked at the gash in her jacket and flesh. A bit theatrical but well played. She brushed at it and it disappeared. She then stared at the tree line. And three, two, one.  
The Hatter burst forth and she smiled then she was over bent picking up Alice's coat, draping it over her arm.  
"Where's Alice?" Hatter demanding taking in the scene before him. She knew he saw his beloved's coat. "I just heard more screaming."  
"Probably having a panic attack right about now, you'd better go after her." She replied then added. "But you might want to give me your jacket to hang onto first, otherwise it'll take forever to dry."  
"What do you mean? Where is she?" He demanded. And the Cat laughed looking over her shoulder at the cliff.  
"I threw her down there."  
"You what!"  
"I threw her off the cliff." The Cat repeated slowly. "But she's just fine, frightened to death and soaked, but physically she is just peachy. But still you should hurry along after her." She said gesturing to the cliffs edge.  
"You.. threw.. Alice... off... a... cliff..." He said clenching his teeth and fist. Oh was he angry. He turned around for a second then turned back to her, then repeated the action one more time before taking off his jacket and tossing it to her.  
"Words Cat." He said in a voice so deadly had she nine lives it would have shaved off eight. "We're going to have some words."  
"Looking forward to it sweetie." She said winking. He gave her one last look then ran past her (she snatched the hat off his head as he did) and leapt off the cliff after Alice.  
One thing the Cat could always count on was the Hatter following Alice.  
She stuck his hat on her head and whistling disappeared. There was so much still to do.

...


	15. Chapter 15

**Enjoy and I own nothing:)**

"What is this?" Jack asked unwrapping the package Caterpillar had given him. Caterpillar had in his usual vague manner answered Jack's questions so that he was more confused rather then having any real understanding. But he thought he had a grasp on what was happening in his kingdom, if only somewhat tenuous.

"Should the time arise, you may need protection from the Cheshire Cat." Caterpillar explained as Jack pulled a two foot blade with a simple hilt from the wrapping. Upon the King's frown at the rather unimpressive weapon Caterpillar continued. "That is a vorpal blade. They are more then rare as there is never more then one in existence at any given time."  
"This sword can protect against the Cheshire Cat?" Jack asked suspiciously. It was really too small to qualify as a sword.

"A vorpal blade is the only thing that can harm certain creatures of Wonderland." Caterpillar explained. "The kind of creatures that only barely exist and Wonderland hasn't seen since the Alice of Legends time."

"Ahh, I see." He said looking at the blade with a new respect. "But if it is that rare how did you come across it?" He asked.

"I have been in communication with the Cheshire Cat for a very long time." He began. "The blade was in it's possession, but as Wonderland's balance was weakened so was the Cheshire Cat, it knew that at some point it would be unable to fully manifest in a physical form so it gave the blade to me for safe keeping."

"Why trust you?" Jack asked.

"Because it had no choice."

Before Jack could question him further a rather urgent knock on the door sounded followed by the Nine of Clubs rushing into the room.

"Your Majesty!" He cried clearly distressed and giving a hasty bow beginning to speak. "I am sorry to disrupt you like this but it is urgent!"

"Very well Number Nine, what is the trouble.?"

"I went to interrogate the men who stole the ring and found them dead."  
"Dead?"

"Yes, as a doornail your majesty. They food had been tainted with a large dose of Excitement and their hearts burst."

"Do you know who did this?" Jack asked.

"There are only two people with access to those prisoners."

"Who are they?" Jack demanded. He could see Number Nine was reluctant to continue.

"Myself and the Ten of Clubs sir." He said adverting his eyes.

Jack was dismayed to say the least. Number Ten had been his man since he came to power.

"That is not all your majesty." Number Nine continued. "Before I came I inquired on Number Ten's whereabouts and he has not been seen for at least two hours."

"Where was he last seen?"

"He was heading to the Gardens with Alice's mother.

"Dammit!" Jack swore softly slamming his fist against the desk, causing the blade to clatter slightly. "Come, we must see if we can find them."

"Of course, I shall direct the Suits." Number Nine nodded opening the doors for the King and Caterpillar left who them room in haste. Jack to head for the Gardens, Caterpillar to examine the deceased (to ensure oyster emotions were in fact the cause of death) and Number Nine to gather the Suits.

...

Alice surfaced from underneath the water. She was going to kill the Cheshire Cat, just straight kill her. The river wasn't fast, and the noise those creatures had been making was gone as she made her way to the shore. Hopefully the Cat had been right (if absolutely crazy) and they were safe now. But where was she anyway? Had she doubled back to get Hatter?  
As she thought that she heard a scream from above, she looked up and saw a mans form falling from where she just had.

"Hatter!" She cried and started to swim back towards him. He surfaced with a gasp.

"Damn that's cold!" He then saw Alice starting toward him and shouted. "You okay?"

"Yes, fine. You?."

"Dandy." He waved her off and they made their way to the shore line.

...

"She threw you too." Alice said as he sat down on the shore.

"Not exactly." He replied wiping water from his face as it dropped from his hair.

"What do you mean not exactly?"

"I kind of jumped."

"You what!" She shouted shocked.

"I jumped." He shouted back. "I thought you could use my help."

"You thought jumping off a cliff would help?" She asked sarcastically. "You don't have a better reason for it then that?"

Hatter started laughing, Alice glared. He tried to stop but his adrenaline was still pumping and his relief that they were both alright had him a bit giddy.

"What's so funny?" She asked and he tried to stop himself from saying it, he really did but he was just so happy she was okay that he said it anyway.

"Do I need a reason to help a pretty girl in a very wet dress?"

Wrong, wrong thing to say. She turned around and started to walk away, clearly not amused.

"Oh hell." He muttered then called louder. "Alice, Alice wait!"

"I can't believe you!" She said as she stomped away in her soaking boots.

"Alice, I know you're upset and scared." Hatter said grabbing her arm and making her look at him. "It was a long way down, but you're okay."

"I've fallen out of a box, been shot out of the sky, and swung from a light fixture over a gaping pit to safety." Alice said sharply and still seething. "I may not like heights but I can deal with them. I'm not upset about being thrown off the cliff, I'm upset that you jumped."

"Excuse me?"

"Why the hell would you just jump off a cliff!"

"The Cat said she threw you and I should go after."

"And you trusted her!" She shouted and got louder as she continued. "You keep warning me how dangerous she is and you just jump off a cliff cause he said to? How crazy are you? What if she was lying? How could you just do that?"

"Because its you Alice!" Hatter shouted matching her volume. "I already told you I'd risk everything for you, one little cliff is nothing."

"I don't want you to risk everything for me!" She shouted back.

"Well tough luck because I'll do whatever it takes Alice." He said irritated. Shouldn't she be swooning with how terribly romantic he was or something? Just cause he laughed a bit shouldn't cancel that out.

"I get it, you'll jump off a cliff for me but won't have sex with me. Makes a whole lot of sense." She said in a tone like ice and Hatter froze. She pulled her arm out of his grasp. He was in trouble. This was about a whole lot more then just his laughing. Damn.

"Alice-" He began but she cut him off.

"Just save it okay, I'm pissed right now but that doesn't change what's going on. We need to keep moving."

"Fine." He said. Time, she just needed a little time to cool down, get herself together. They'd be okay, just dandy. He hadn't ruined perhaps the only good thing he had ever had. Oh god.

...

Once the words were out of Alice's mouth she couldn't take them back, but dammit! Why did he have to jump off a cliff after her? Jumped off a cliff! What if the Cat had been lying? What if he wasn't okay? She had thought twice before he was dead because of her (taking a bullet from Dodo and taking on all those suits only to be captured) and her Dad was dead, taking bullets aimed at her. She lost him, she couldn't lose Hatter, the idiot.

"Listen Alice, I-" Hatter began but she cut him off.

"It doesn't matter, lets just drop it for now okay?" Silence. Oh yeah, she was doing just great today. Girlfriend of the year.  
They didn't walk far before they saw something familiar up ahead, hanging from a tree branch. Their coats and his hat, with a note sitting nicely on the brim. The intricate scrawl read, "All's safe, Hope you enjoyed the swim. See you soon!" Hatter read the note over Alice's shoulder and muttered something about "Words" under his breath. Alice ignored it, looked around and asked.

"What now?"

"First we find some shelter." He replied. "Then we need to get out of these wet things."

...

Jack was not a fool, but at this moment he felt very foolish. They had found Number Ten escorting Carol around the Gardens. Caterpillar had confirmed the cause of death of the three men as well as the time. It was quick made it quite clear that the Ten of Clubs was not responsible for the men's death. Jack should have been relieved except for the fact that the Nine of Clubs had vanished.  
And so had the vorpal blade.


	16. Chapter 16

**This is a short chapter, but life has been a little extra crazy. Sorry for the long time between updates.**

**Enjoy and I own nothing:)**

Duchess encountered no one as she moved through the hallways, her heels clicking against the marble floors. Word spread fast of the Nine of Clubs betrayal and though the Queen's reign had ended, the fear of getting in the path of a Heart in bad temper still had people fearful of losing their heads. If they could not be of use, they stayed out of sight. Duchess herself was on her way to Jack's study, hopeful that she herself would be useful.  
"In such a haste Lovely." The Cheshire Cat said suddenly stepping in front of her. Duchess stopped short with a gasp. "Afraid your news will spoil?"  
Duchess backed up warily. She did not feel like being taken hostage again. The Cat laughed.  
"No worries Lovely I only came to check up on things here, make sure everyone was getting along nicely, maybe have a little chat, girl talk you know."  
"I do not want to chat with you." Duchess said still backing away.  
"Oh come now." The Cat pouted. "After I gave you exactly what you wanted?"  
"You held me at gunpoint and traded me for that man, Hatter. That was not what I wanted."  
"I gave you three things you wanted." The Cat said holding up as many fingers and started to tick them off. "One. You wanted to know Jack cared about you and you saw his concern when I held you hostage. Two. You wanted Jack to choose you, which he did by trading you for the Hatter. Which if you think about it was pretty big as he thought the Hatter might go mad from Alice's emotions and possibly harm her. He chose you over her. Last but not least, Three. You wanted Jack to trust you, and since I see the Stone of Wonderland still sits on your finger instead of in a vault or nestled all snug in his pocket I'd say he does. Though you may find fault with my methods Lovely, you can't argue the results."  
"You are insane." Duchess said. "Why have you come here?"  
"As I said to see how things are, which seem to be a bit hectic at the moment. And a word with you." She winked then became serious. "You had best get Jackie Boy to marry you soon because if he doesn't, he will have to marry for Wonderland. And sadly the woman he marries will not be you, Duchess. You will lose him."  
Duchess was stunned. "I don't believe you." She whispered. The Cat laughed and Duchess opened her mouth to hiss a scathing remark. But before she could speak the Cat was walking away, saying "Tick, tock, Lovely. Tick tock."  
Duchess stayed put a few moments more once the Cat was gone. The thought of losing Jack, especially when he had never fully been hers was terrifying. But, Duchess thought taking a step forward followed by another. That was the point. The Cheshire Cat wanted to worry her, Duchess had spent her life in the Queen's Court and understood when someone was playing mind games. The Cheshire Cat did nothing but.  
She continued moving until her stride was once more the confident click clack of her heels. She reached Jack's study and opened the door.  
"Darling." Jack said looking up from the maps he, Caterpillar, and Number Ten had been pouring over for hours trying to figure out where the Nine of Clubs could have fled to. "Is there something you need?"  
"No Jack." She said cooly then smiled slightly. "I thought you might like to know how the Nine of Clubs disappeared."  
"Really?" Jack asked intrigued. "How may I ask is that?"  
"He took a Flamingo." She stated.  
"But, and I am sorry to contradict." The Ten of Clubs said nervously. "We already accounted for all Scarabs and Flamingos the very first thing."  
"Yes, you did account for them." Duchess agreed then added. "Just not all of them. I checked maintenance, there was one down there that supposedly was not flying properly that now seems to have vanished. Strange thing is that the one who sent the Flamingo down had never actually flown it. Number Nine."  
"The clever bastard." Number Ten swore, then realized who he was with. "My apologies, I meant-"  
"Your sentiment is correct." Jack cut in. "What about the tracking device? I assume he disabled that?" At that Duchess's smile grew.  
"It seems that Maintenance could not pinpoint what the supposed problem was, but they did find an issue with the tracking device, which they fixed. They just hadn't marked it on their paperwork yet."  
"So he has no way of knowing that we can track him."  
"Precisely."  
"Darling." Jack said coming forward and taking her hand and bringing it to his mouth. "You are truly amazing." He kissed her hand, then dropping it he started towards the door and said to Number Ten. "Come we must hurry."  
"I already ordered a Scarab which is tracking the Flamingo and there is a team of Suits ready and awaiting your instructions." Duchess added. Jack stopped and turned and looked at her, quirking a brow.  
"Thank you Duchess, you are... Unexpectedly resourceful."  
"You are welcome Jack." He turned and left, Number Ten in his wake. Duchess was left with Caterpillar who said nothing but continued to peer at the maps, she didn't notice. She watched Jack leave and the Cat's words echoed in her mind.  
"You will lose him."  
Duchess could not help but feel her heart break, just a crack.

...

The silence between Alice and the Hatter stretched on, it was worse then awkward.  
The Cheshire Cat couldn't stand it. She'd done every single thing right, she protected them, gave them time, safety, and romantic settings, even gave them the perfect excuse of getting out of their wet things and nothing. It was infuriating! Those two were so stubborn...  
Fine then, if they weren't going to cooperate, so be it. She was done with her coddling. Time they started to realize exactly how much she's been protecting them.

...

"This is just great, wonderful even." Hatter mumbled walking the almost non-existent path. "We don't know where we are, or who we are hiding from. We've got no supplies, nothing but these wet clothes, and our only resource? A crazy Cat who takes great delight in making things more difficult and may or may not be on our side."  
"Are you talking to yourself?" Alice asked from behind him. It was the first time she had spoken to him since they read the Cat's note.  
"No." He said then turned around. "Technically yes but it doesn't matter. We've got time so we need to talk."  
"No we don't." She said trying to brush him off.  
"Yes we do." He said firmly.  
"I don't care." She replied.  
"I am having an identity crisis Alice, you could be a bit more understanding." He said frustrated.  
"That's precisely why I don't want to talk about it." Alice said evenly. "With all the weirdness going on neither one of us in a good place. I was wrong to bring it up."  
"Alice, you deserve to know-" Hatter began but Alice held a hand up and interrupted.  
"Just save it for now okay? I really don't think right now I can handle hearing all the ways I push men away."  
"Damn it Alice!" He swore taking a step closer, standing right in front of her. "Just because everything in Wonderland revolves around you doesn't mean everything is about you!" Uh oh. Not smart. And she isn't speaking... Quick say something charming, smooth it over, be witty... Or sensitive... Or something! Just fill up this damn silence with something that won't have her killing you!  
One beat. Two.  
"If its not me Hatter, then what is it? There it was, in her voice, the hurt. What he has been making her feel. He turned her face back towards him and two small tears were in the corner of each eye. Breaking his heart straight down the middle. He caused those.  
He cupped her face in his hands and started to speak but a noise had them both turning. He automatically put himself in front of Alice, though he expected the Cheshire Cat to reveal herself in a moment.  
But it wasn't the Cat who stepped out into sight but two men. They were dressed similarly, which was that they both looked like a couple of goons. Muscle with little intelligence but good at following orders.  
"Oy, look I told you I heard shouting!" One said to the other. "Grab her!" Before they could start Hatter was already moving, he swung his fist at the first one who easily dodged under it. But Hatter wasn't expecting to hit him. He used his fist as a distraction so he could get close enough to kick the man in the knee, knocking him down. He fell onto all fours and Hatter had no problem placing a swift kick into his stomach, taking him all the down to the ground where he delivered one more kick to the mans head, knocking him out. One great thing about being with Alice was he picked up a few new tricks, though he still preferred fighting dirty. He looked over at Alice who just finished a quick jab to the mans throat then grabbed and flipped him over onto the ground. God, how sexy was that?  
"You okay?" He asked when she was finished.  
"Fine, you?"  
"Yeah." Hatter said coming to her side. He could hear more noises coming their way. "But I think these guys have friends."  
"We should get out of here."  
"Lets." And they left, moving as fast as they could through the heavy forest.

...


End file.
